


LJ and Zofia: A Hero's Legacy

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Dragon Ball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29772852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: After visiting Eric, Ariel, and Melody and facing up against Morgana, LJ and Zofia come home, wondering what to do next, until they're called away to a new adventure that comes with some familiar territory for Atticus as they meet Goku Jr and join him on his special new journey before they must face against Mamba and a familiar ally from a previous adventure and battle for Auradon.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime after Sonic Thunder Saiyan Turtle's adaptation of Return to the Sea. Enjoy what you have here, I don't have much else to really add or say but Read & Review. You know the drill by now.

It was a cloudy morning at the Schwartz house, and LJ, Zofia, and their friends were once again in the middle of another D&D session since they thought it would rain for the majority of that day. The kids had a bit of fun for a while as all seemed well so far, but of course in their line of work, that was bound to change. They also had a couple of new friends, but those two were busy right now. Cherry walked by as she dropped off a letter between LJ and Zofia as it was for both of them and she said nothing so she wouldn't interrupt their game. Eventually, the game came to a halt when Dib had to use the restroom.

LJ glanced over at the letter. "Oh, neat; a letter for us." he replied as he opened the envelope.

"Where's it from?" Chrissy asked.

"Aura... Don... Auradon!" LJ smiled. "That means it's from--"

"Felicity!" LJ and Zofia beamed as they opened up the letter to see what it had to say.

It was a typical letter to home away from home with greetings to everybody and asking how they all were before getting to the point which led to a request that for their upcoming family trip together that Mal would come along with her since she had been feeling blue lately if that was alright with everybody else.

"Hmm... That sounds alright." LJ replied.

"I wanna visit that Auradon place," Zofia beamed. "It sounds so exotic."

"Likewise," LJ agreed. "It also sounds like another adventure."

"You sound like your Uncle Atticus when you say that." Cherry's voice said from the other room.

LJ shrugged. "Never really considered that..." he replied. "Still, when adventure calls, I can't help but pick up the phone."

"I know that I can't," Zofia agreed. "Also family vacation time, which could be an adventure within itself of course."

"True, true," replied Nergal Junior. "Wonder when that'll be going down?"

"Mother says probably the day after tomorrow," Zofia said. "Whatever it is, it'll be interesting."

"I wish we had family vacations sometimes." Gaz spoke up.

"...You could come with us if you want." LJ suggested.

"We can?" The others asked.

"If you want to and it's alright with your families." Zofia replied.

The others smiled at that as that sounded very nice.

"Well, I'm sure we could work that out," Jenny replied. "We should really get out more."

The others nodded.

"All right, we'll tell our parents before we go." Zofia smiled.

"Sounds pretty good to me," Dib said. "Speaking of family, it seems like Eric is staying at Ambrose's place longer than we thought."

"He seems to have really settled in there." Martin said.

"I'd check on him, but I don't want to bother him." Zofia said.

"Perhaps in a couple weeks," replied LJ. "Anyways... This family vacation sounds great."

"Yeah!" The group all cheered from that.

"We'll send a letter back soon." Zofia smiled.

"Just wonder why Mal wants to come along." LJ replied.

"Maybe she just wants a break from school or something," Zofia shrugged. "She has a lot going on with her and Ben after all."

"Yep," nodded LJ. "I imagine being married so suddenly is pretty jarring. Makes me wonder when we'll get another adventure assignment."

"Yeah..." The others had to agree with that.

"Oh, you kids and your adventures..." Cherry murmured to herself as she washed some dishes.

"Hey, I was like that too," Lionel replied. "Besides, they can't let their skills stagnate."

"Yes, yes, I know~," Cherry said to him. "I guess at least they'll also have surprise guests to look forward to, and I don't just mean Felicity's friend Mal."

"I guess that's neat," Lionel replied. "Though I wonder who the surprise guests could be...?"

"I'll tell you as long as you promise not to tell the kids," Cherry remarked. "I thought this would be a nice treat for them since there's a clear schedule now."

"Who is it?" Lionel asked as he leaned in a bit.

"...The Fudos." Cherry whispered right into his ear.

"That _is_ a nice surprise," replied Lionel. "And consider my lip zipped."

"I just hope Atticus won't be too exhausted," Cherry said with a hushed voice. "He and his new partner had a pretty big case that luckily closed a couple of days ago."

"Then good news for him," Lionel whispered back. "This break might be just what he needed!"

"Tell me about it." Cherry agreed, a bit happy for her childhood best friend.

The kids continued their game for a while and included Kimberly's troll dolls which brought back a few memories.

"Ever think we might see them again?" Gaz asked as she picked up one doll. "I really liked Onyx."

"Someday, I'm sure." Zofia replied.

LJ spun his Pokéball on his finger. "It's not impossible. Maybe we will see them again." he replied.

"It's all in the timing of course," Zofia said before looking bashful. "Like seeing Uncle Milo in Atlantis."

"Yeah... Like last year." LJ nodded. "Coolest Thanksgiving ever."

They continued their game for a while until it was time to go home as Ambrose got himself home.

* * *

"Hi, Mom." Ambrose said.

"Hello, dear." Hilda smiled.

"Hey, Aunt Zelda." Ambrose said.

"Oh, hello, dear," Zelda smiled as she came to a room. "I feel so thankful to be a mother."

"I thought you might like that... Though you're almost as old as Graunt Irma..." Ambrose replied.

"Ambrose, don't be rude," Hilda said, taking her son by the ear. "Now come along. I'm sure Eric and Jane are waiting at home."

"Ow! Hey!" Ambrose yelped. "What did I do?!"

"Oh, like anyone would want to be compared to Graunt Irma," Hilda retorted. "Sure, we respect her, but that's cuz we're terrified of her."

"Yes, ma'am..." Ambrose said bashfully.

"Now, to Jane and Eric," Zelda smiled. "Did you have fun with your friends?"

"Yeah, but I wanna ask Dad something," Ambrose replied. "Could you guys warm him up for me? I know he's a bit stressed out 'cuz he saw his old rival at the bowling alley last night for his weekly Bowling Night who beat his team, so... Yeah..."

"Okay, what'd you want to ask him?" asked Zelda.

"Um... Well... I was just wondering if I could go on vacation with the Schwartz kids in a couple of days," Ambrose smiled bashfully. "For, until maybe after Dad cools off from his anger from this week's Bowling Night."

"So, you want us to talk with your father for you so you can get away from his rage just so he'll forget about it by the time you come back home?" Zelda asked.

"Who says adults are out of touch with what their kids want or think," Ambrose shrugged as that sounded right. "So, whatya say?"

"We'll consider it on the drive home," Hilda replied. "No promises."

Ambrose shrugged. "Then that's the best I can hope for."

"Yes, it is." Zelda replied.

They soon rode away in the car together as Ambrose twiddled his thumbs in the backseat. The others said goodbye to Ambrose as the group split up for dinner time after their D&D session.

* * *

"Oh-kay then, whaddo we got for dinner?" asked LJ as he and Zofia came to the table and put out the silverware.

"I bought one of those juicy chickens that's more meat than bones!" Cherry's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Awesome!" LJ whooped. "This is gonna be SO good!"

"Yeah, I thought it would be good," Cherry agreed softly. "Makes for great sandwiches too."

And so, the Schwartz family gathered to have dinner. It seemed to be a good time for all of them so far. Though a certain someone also planned to come by for revenge against the family, but mostly towards LJ, but we'll get to that in good time. Zofia and LJ groaned a bit as they both felt very full from dinner.

"Well, that was quite a meal." Cherry said as she leaned back in her chair a bit.

"Sure WAS!" Lionel agreed. "Definitely one for the books."

"I think I'll turn in for the night." said LJ, stretching.

"I think I might too..." Zofia said. "After a rerun of _The Drew Carey Show_."

"Kids still watch Drew Carey?" Cherry replied.

" _You_ did." Lionel teased her a bit.

"Ah, yes, I guess I did," Cherry smirked slightly. "All right, we'll see you kids by sunrise or so."

"Night, Mom. Night, Dad." LJ waved to his parents as he went upstairs to take a shower.

Zofia came to the living room to watch The _Drew Carey Show_ , though of course, she mostly watched it for the character who was known as Nigel Algernon Wick played by Scottish actor/TV talk show host: Craig Ferguson who was probably her biggest crush next to her "Uncle" Milo Thatch back in Atlantis. Cherry and Lionel cleared the table together while the kids got ready for bed. LJ finished brushing his teeth and climbed into his bed, pulling the covers over his body before he slowly drifted off to sleep. It seemed to be a peaceful night of sleep so far.

* * *

There was some singing heard which sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time in LJ's sleep.

"Huh?" LJ asked, glancing around in his dreams. "Who's there?"

A bright light came out before it looked like he was being thrown into the ocean with a big SPLASH! A girl with braided hair was sitting on an icy ledge before she looked over at him, showing herself as the daughter of Ursula the Sea Witch herself, Uma.

LJ rubbed his eyes. "... _YOU_!" he exclaimed in shock.

"I see you remember me..." Uma smirked a bit. "Have a good swim?"

LJ shook himself off. "Personally... I've had worse." he replied. "And here I thought you'd turned over a new leaf after the whole Battle for Auradon... From what I read."

"Oh, I was just thinking a little," Uma smirked. "No harm done, even if Gil thinks that it's a dangerous pastime."

"Alright," said LJ. "Anything in particular?"

"About you," Uma replied. "You seemed pretty interesting from what I saw when you did what you did against my Aunt Morgana."

"Well... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't flattered." LJ stated.

"You have a right to feel that way," Uma smirked. "You are interesting in your own way... We all have wishes of what we would like. Maybe we could start over and maybe even become friends."

"...That would be nice, actually," LJ said. "Consider the slate clean."

"That's what I thought," Uma replied. "I had to get through to you somehow."

LJ raised an eyebrow. "Whatever for?" he asked.

"Just to make up for bad times," Uma replied. "I've changed a lot since the last time you guys all saw me, especially your big sister Felicity."

"Ah, right," LJ replied. "Well... It may take a while, but I'm willing to give you a chance."

"That's fair enough by me," Uma said as she held out her hand. "Deal?"

LJ held out his hand as well, lightly blushing. "Deal." he replied.

Uma shook hands with LJ a bit firmly to make it official. "Perfect."

An Octilery soon came out beside Uma.

"Aww... Octi, did you miss Mama?" Uma cooed as she picked up her Pokemon. "I'm right here, it's okay~"

"That's a neat Pokémon you have there," LJ complimented. "Octillery, right?"

"Yes," Uma nodded. "Though I call him Octi for short."

"Huh... That's neat." LJ replied.

"Who doesn't have their own Pokemon these days?" Uma smirked a bit as she cradled Octi like a baby. "I hear your mother has her very own Gengar."

"First I heard about _that_..." LJ muttered to himself. "I got my own Mudkip. I call him Fishy Joe."

"Fishy Joe... What a very interesting name," Uma replied. "Also a Mudkip... That's an interesting Pokemon too."

"Thanks," replied LJ. "...Well, I got seven more hours until I wake up. Plenty of time."

"Hmm... Looks like they'll be spent with me..." Uma said mysteriously as she walked off a bit on the dry land.

LJ decided to go follow after her.

"I'm just glad to have a little break from classes," Uma said. "Just the downside is that I gotta work extra shifts at the Fish & Chips place with Mom while she watches soap operas all day."

"Must be rough." said LJ.

"Oh, it is..." Uma replied. "I don't just get dishpan hands, I usually get dishpan everything. I'd probably get dishpan tentacles if I had to wash dishes in the ocean."

They soon walked along the ocean.

"Sometimes I think about going down there though," Uma said as she stared out into the water. "My father is deep down there somewhere. My mother told me after I asked her where my father was since Harry's father is Captain Hook and Gil's father is Gaston, but... I've never known my father... Even the Facilier sisters have a father who seems to be like Father of the Year back at the Isle compared to the other Villain Parents."

"That _is_ an interesting question," said LJ. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about who YOUR dad was."

"Promise not to freak out?" Uma asked.

"I'll try." LJ replied.

"Well... You ever hear those stories about Captain Jack Sparrow and The Pirates of the Carribean?" Uma then asked.

"I've heard of them, yeah." LJ replied.

"My father is actually Davy Jones." Uma revealed.

"Hmm..." LJ pondered. "I suppose that'd explain your whole buccaneer vibe. Looks good on ya."

"I'll say," Uma smirked as she adjusted her hat a bit. "I've always wanted to go looking for him, but my mother always told me to stay away as he was nuthin' but trouble. Sorta hypocritical parenting if you ask me."

"I like to think that sometimes trouble attracts trouble." LJ replied.

"That's a pretty good point," Uma had to admit. "You're not a lot of trouble though, are you?"

"No," LJ replied. "I suppose not."

"I didn't think so," Uma said. "You'd probably be an AK around Auradon, even though your big sister felt conflicted with herself most of the time, a lot like Mal did."

"Maybe." replied LJ.

They soon sat by the ocean as the waves gently crashed in the background. Uma played a little music on a ukulele that she seemed to have. LJ bobbed his head along to the music, kicking his feet around.

"I sometimes try to make a name for myself in the world of music." Uma said during the song.

"I think you got a good shot," LJ replied. "Ya definitely have the pipes for it."

"Hm," Uma smirked a bit bashfully. "Well, I appreciate that. There is a song in my heart though that I'm working on about making my wishes come true like my mama and aunt. Though, of course, not as bad as their extent."

"Yeah?" asked LJ. "Let's hear it."

"Oh, uh, I don't know if it's good enough just yet." Uma smiled bashfully.

"Go on," LJ urged. "May as well give it a shot!"

"Well... Okay... Just don't be too judgemental about it." Uma smiled bashfully.

LJ smiled back encouragingly.

Uma soon played a tune as she cleared her throat to start the song. "Wheels within wheels, Loops within loops, Gathering forces to make my final, I'm gonna get that key, To unlock the lock that holds my destiny, This piece of the puzzle just fell into place, From my final coup, My rivals fall on their faces~," she began to sing to him. "Gonna get my wish tonight, Wish tonight, Wish tonight I'm gonna take control, I'm gonna get my wish tonight, A wish tonight~"

LJ bobbed his head to the music as he began to glow faintly. Uma repeated the first few verses again. Octi gave her a bit of a look.

"Uh, that's about all I got so far." Uma said bashfully.

"Oh," LJ replied as his glow faded. "Well, it sounds pretty good so far."

"Thanks," Uma said. "Guess I just have a lot on my mind about what to do with my new destiny."

"Well... I'll be sure to help you out however I can." LJ smiled, kissing her hand.

"Oh, aren't you just a little charmer," Uma chuckled from that. "I'd love to treat you somehow, like maybe we could share a sundae or a milkshake together."

"That'd be neat." LJ replied.

"I think so too," Uma smiled. "This is pretty nice, LJ... You and me..."

An old school song started to play in the background saying "Hearts Afire, Hearts Afire~".

"Me and you..." LJ beamed. "I reckon we make a great team. Sorry about... You know, last time."

"I'm sorry too," Uma replied. "There was just a lot going on at that time. I hope I can make it up to you somehow."

"I'm sure you'll find a way." LJ smiled.

"It would be nice either way," Uma smiled back. "I'm sure Octi would like that too."

LJ beamed at that as he began to glow brightly, before the glow seemed to separate into a different person and faded. The person looked like LJ, only he was Uma's age.

"Huh? What's this?" Uma pondered.

"My mom told me about something like this happening to my uncle when he was a teenager," said LJ. "He had...strong feelings for someone, but he didn't want his girlfriend to be sad, so it split off from him and became a person of his own. I think I'll call this one... Tyson."

Tyson shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. "Ah... Glad to finally be out!" he exclaimed.

"Well... Hello there, Tyson," Uma greeted. "It's nice to meet you."

Octi came out to see Tyson up close.

"And I gotta say, it's nice meeting you!" Tyson replied with a smile. "You too, little buddy." he said to Octi.

Octi growled slightly.

"Octi, cut that out," Uma scolded her Pokemon. "I'm sorry, he doesn't like strangers too much... But... I don't mind them..." she then smirked a bit lustfully towards Tyson as she looked like she was in love. "Anybody's better than Harry Hook."

Tyson beamed. "Well... I think I've just found my favorite part of being here." he replied.

"Oh, you." Uma blushed a bit as she gently stroked Octi to help calm him down.

"I think Tyson will settle in here nicely," replied LJ. "And he'll be glad to lend you a hand."

Tyson nodded at that.

"Sounds pretty good," Uma replied. "Thank you, LJ. You're a little sweetheart." she then came to him to give him a small kiss on the cheek as a reward.

LJ blushed. "Aw, shucks. It's no problem." he replied.

"Really, I must pay you back somehow." Uma smiled warmly.

"I'm sure you'll find a way," LJ told her. "But in the meantime, don't sweat it. You got my back... And I got yours."

"That's right," Uma smiled. "Watch your back."

"I got that song stuck in my head." LJ mumbled.

"Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and your sister started it." Uma smirked playfully.

"Well... It's still a good song," LJ replied. "Catchy, really."

"I'll say," Uma said. "Though it felt odd that Evie told us all to work together while she sorta just stood there."

"Heh... Pretty ironic when you think about it." LJ replied.

"Hm... I thought so too..." Uma gave a small chuckle.

* * *

They soon walked beside the beach together for a while as LJ was still asleep.

"You know... This is nice," said Tyson. "Just the three of us, spending time together like this."

"Yeah," Uma smiled. "I should walk out on the beach more often."

Octi still growled at Tyson and LJ a bit.

"Alright, enough of you." Uma rolled her eyes as she returned Octi back into his PokéBall. "Sorry about that, boys."

"Hey, it's fine," replied Tyson. "He's just having trouble adjusting to somebody new here."

"All he needs is time." LJ added.

"Yeah... He was all alone when I first found him," Uma replied. "Probably feels attached and protective of me."

"Makes sense to me," Tyson thought. "I can see why he'd feel that way."

"Yeah," Uma nodded from that. "Guess when we wake up, I'll just hang out and do what I usually do. Though maybe if I'm lucky, Tyson will be there with me."

"Then consider yourself lucky," Tyson smiled. "See you around, LJ. I need to get to know this charming lady better!"

LJ smiled back. "You two have fun!" he replied.

Uma and Tyson wished him goodbye as he soon went off on his own.

"Well, that was a pleasant dream." LJ said to himself.

"And best part is, things with Uma have been cleared up. One less enemy, one more ally!"

* * *

However, there was something that he didn't know about Uma, in the real world for that matter. Although he'd soon find out for himself. Cherry came by to check on her son's dream.

"Hi, Mom!" LJ smiled.

"Hello, dear." Cherry greeted with her usual tone of voice.

"I get it, you're on dream duty, huh?" LJ asked.

"Yes, I just thought I'd see you were having pleasant dreams," Cherry replied. "It's my job as your mother and a Dream Walker."

"Well, you're doing great!" LJ replied.

"I appreciate that," Cherry said. "I've come a long way myself since Princess Luna trusted me to do this job for her after her retirement with Celestia. Maybe sometime you could try it."

"Perhaps someday," replied LJ. "It might be interesting."

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Cherry said as she walked off. "I suppose I better get ready for when your sister, aunt, uncle, and cousins get here."

"Alright, go for it!" LJ replied as his mother left.

Cherry came to the door and shut it behind him.

* * *

The real Uma was shown to be lying awake in a bed she was given as she took a look at an old photograph of her mother Ursula, her Aunt Morgana, and her grandmother, Aquarayna as she seemed to have a lot on her mind before she would fall asleep.

"Are you comfortable?" A voice asked Uma.

"Huh? Oh, yes," Uma replied softly. "Thanks... Just getting settled in."

"You're not the only one." replied Tyson, as he laid nearby.

Uma looked over a bit bashfully to him.

"Just remember what you were told," The voice told Uma. "We strike very soon... Don't let me down..."

"I'll try not to..." Uma said before she looked at another personal photograph that had a picture of her with what looked like Mal, though they were both younger, possibly around 12-years-old.

Tyson peeked over. "That's a pretty nice-looking photo," he said. "Care to explain?"

Uma's eyes widened. Tyson scooted closer beside her as the being left them alone together.

"Well... This is me..." Uma said softly. "...With my ex."

"I see..." Tyson nodded. "You two seemed awful close, judging from the picture."

"Yeah, we really were," Uma replied. "She was apart of my crew for a while when it first started out."

"Crew, huh?" Tyson replied. "I don't suppose you have any openings for... New recruits?"

"Guess it depends," Uma smirked. "Ya got a pair of sea legs?"

"I'd be willing to earn them." Tyson replied.

"Well... All right..." Uma smirked. "I'd have to check your qualifications over with the others. I'm sure though you'd make a better right-hand man than Harry."

Tyson blushed. "Aw, thanks. Means a lot knowing you said that." he replied.

"My pleasure," Uma gave him a bit of a grin. "You oughta go to school in Serpent Prep too."

"Serpent... Prep..." Tyson wrote down on a notepad. "Got it."

"Yep," Uma replied. "The Serpent Preparatory School for the Education of Miscreants. That's where Harry and my crew went to school on the Isle of the Lost," she then explained. "That's where I met my crew before we got stronger at Ma's Fish & Chips place."

"Wow..." Tyson exclaimed, amazed.

* * *

Meanwhile, LJ had woken up and was brushing his hair after putting on his clothes. Two-Tone, Furrball, and their children were still asleep on the other hand. In the kitchen though, there was some rummaging heard. LJ poked his head out the door to be careful as everyone else still seemed to be asleep. The shuffling continued a bit with some flying also heard like there was someone else in the house who wasn't family. LJ snuck into the kitchen, searching for the source of the rummaging noises. A Honchkrow cawed out at him as it flew over, wearing a Dust Stone necklace as it flew out at him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Honchkrow?!" LJ exclaimed as he stumbled over backwards.

Honchkrow perched onto the boy's stomach as he fell on the floor.

"Oh, Honchkrow, what are you doing?!" A voice called that belonged to a purple-haired girl as she rushed over to get her Pokemon. "You better cut that out! Did you try to get some cookies again?!"

Honchkrow looked bashful at his trainer.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Mal rolled her eyes. "I feel nervous enough about leaving Mom alone with Evie and Doug back in Auradon."

LJ got to his feet. "Mal, right?" he asked. "...Nice to meet you again."

"LJ? Oh, I'm so sorry," Mal said to LJ. "Ever since Belle made me and Ben those cookies from our last visit, Honchkrow's had a bit of a sweet tooth."

"So I see..." LJ replied. "That would explain why he was pecking around in the kitchen."

"So sorry about that..." Mal said nervously. "Don't let your mom get mad at me."

Honchkrow soon flew out of her hands to land on the table.

"Uh... Maybe I should cook for you guys?" Mal offered.

"If you want to," LJ replied. "Everyone else should be up in a little while. Feel free to come in and make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Mal said. "Flick said we should've come as soon as possible because it would be hard to tell when you all would be ready to go."

"Good thinking on her part." LJ replied.

"Yeah, pretty good," Mal smiled. "She's pretty thoughtful most of the time."

* * *

Eventually, everyone else had woken up and begun to get ready for the day while LJ watched TV. Mal and Felicity greeted everyone as they all got ready.

"Alright, now just to wait for Atticus." Cherry told the others.

"Okay then..." Lionel replied.

They soon all shared a quick breakfast with each other as Mal fed Honchkrow his own food.

"It's good to see you, Mal," Zofia said. "You feeling okay?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," Mal smiled. "I just needed a little break from Auradon."

"I guess I can understand why," replied LJ. "All that wild stuff you and your friends experience on a regular basis could probably get tiresome after a while."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Mal replied softly. "Who else went through such magical adventures as a teenager?"

"Hm. Hm. Hm. Hm." Cherry chuckled with a small smirk as she raised her hand from that.

Lionel also put his hand up. LJ was drumming his fingers on the table, growing more impatient as the time seemed to drag by.

"Your cousins should be here soon." Cherry told LJ softly.

"Here's hoping..." LJ replied.

Mal looked distant as she had a lot to think about.

"Mal, if you wanna tell everybody what's up, just tell them," Felicity said. "I'm sure at least my mother could help you."

"Oh, I don't know, Flick," Mal sighed as she held onto a necklace that she now wore. "It might be too complicated."

"I say go for it," said Lionel. "Beats just sitting around and waiting. Might make the time pass quicker."

"Well... Hades came by for a visit recently to give Mal a little gift... That necklace..." Felicity said.

"I guess that explains why we haven't seen it before." Zofia remarked.

"Yeah..." Mal said softly as she held her necklace. "It's part of a necklace though... Someone else has the other half... He told me."

"Who would that someone be?" Cherry asked.

Mal swallowed a bit thickly before telling them all. "My twin brother."

At that, everyone went into a silent shock.

"...That _is_ interesting." LJ replied, ceasing his finger-drumming. "Continue."

"Dad said I had to find him to link my necklace with his," Mal said. "He didn't say whether it was good or bad, but either way, it's very important."

"I see..." replied Lionel. "I hope that you'll be able to find your sibling."

"I hope so too," Mal said softly. "I've had a bit of bad luck lately."

"If I had to guess though, Hades's son would be with Persephone." Cherry advised.

"That could be a lead," LJ replied. "And maybe the others are here by now!"

Atticus, Mo, Akito, Estelle, and Vincent were on their way over until the door came open.

"Hey, gang." Cherry greeted.

"Hey, Cherry." Atticus and Mo smiled.

"Hey, Aunt Cherry." The Fudo siblings added.

"Hi, everyone." Lionel waved.

"Hey, Lionel." Atticus and Mo waved.

"Hi, Uncle Lionel." said the Fudo siblings.

"Your timing is impeccable..." LJ sighed. "I was about to lose it from waitin' for so long!"

"Sorry about that, we just had to make sure Southdale would be alright without us for a while." Estelle replied.

"And I was given some last-minute Head Witch paperwork to go over." Atticus added.

"...I guess that's fair," replied LJ. "Even if it IS an hour's drive from here, a lot can happen in that time."

"Yeah, sorry, I'm a busy man after all." Atticus smiled wearily.

"Makes me wonder how Drell did it all when we were kids." Cherry replied.

"He probably took some special pills or something." Mo rolled her eyes a bit.

"It's a possibility." said Zofia.

"Let's just get started already." LJ replied.

"As you can see, LJ inherited my patience." Cherry told the Fudos.

"Yes, let's go," Atticus replied. "Mal, good to see you."

"Likewise." Mal gave a small smile.

And so off the Schwartz-Fudo family went, with LJ hoping to come across a new adventure while this was happening.

"A bright new future for all of us and perhaps my Dragon Ball Z family too." Atticus smiled on the way.

LJ glanced at him, curious. "Perhaps..." he replied.

"Yeah." Atticus smiled.

* * *

They soon left town as they were on their way over to the Dragon Ball Z world which was like Atticus's home-away-from-home like the city of Metropolis or Gotham City for Cherry when she was much younger when she first met Bruce Wayne/Batman. The kids took a good long look out at the odd world around them, as they flew to their destination.

"Just about there." Atticus beamed.

"I'm happy that you're excited." Cherry said.

"Would it kill you to smile or are you gonna be like Gem Stone 2.0 and say that smiling causes wrinkles?" Atticus asked. "I hear she's been Botoxed so much that she makes Joan Rivers look natural."

"I can be happy without smiling." Cherry retorted.

"Likewise." agreed Lionel.

"Hm..." Atticus smirked. "At least you're happy, right?"

"Yes." Cherry stated.

"...Fine by me." Atticus shrugged.

"Oh, I think we're almost here!" Lionel exclaimed, glancing out his window.

"I'd say so," Atticus smiled. "Gosh, it's been so long, I don't know what to expect."

"As long as we arrive, that's fine by me." LJ replied as they finally came to a stop.

Atticus beamed.

"Think you'll recognize some of them, Detective Fudo?" Mal asked.

"I'll recognize all of them," Atticus smiled as they came out. "These are... My people!"

Lionel snorted. "Let's just hope so..." he replied.

They soon came out as LJ ran out as they were good to go, though of course maybe not as fast as Akito who was almost as fast as Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

"I should probably call him Sonic sometimes." Cherry remarked about Atticus and Mo's younger son.

"Yo, slow down, Blurr!" LJ snapped. "We ain't all rollin' around at the speed of sound!"

"Sorry, bud!" Akito smirked slightly.

LJ rolled his eyes as he followed behind, and they headed towards a field of flowers and headstones, like the ones used for graves.

Akito laughed a bit until he saw where they were. "Whoa..."

A small elderly woman appeared to be praying beside a tombstone with a small smile on her face.

LJ read a few of the tombstones. "Tien Shinhan... Chiaotzu... Vegeta... Son Gohan..."

As he did, a small boy was running through the field with a butterfly net. "Oh, no you don't!" he shouted as he leapt, giving the group a brief glimpse of himself, showing that he looked like he'd be the spitting image of Goku himself. He then joined the elderly woman praying at the tombstone.

LJ took a squint and read its text. "...Son Goku..."

"Gosh... I'd take off my hat for respect, but I don't wear a hat, so..." Akito said before untying his bandanna to take off his head which showed light auburn hair like Mo's, though it was a bit wacky and weird looking.

LJ and Zofia bowed their heads in silence.

"Hello... How are you today?" asked the little boy. "I'm fine, great-great-grandfather."

"What a glorious day..." said the old woman as she stood up. "Time to train, Goku. C'mon."

The little boy looked up. "Sounds good t'me!" he beamed.

"It also looks like we might have company." The old woman said.

"Pan?" Akito asked. "Is that you?"

"Why, yes..." The old woman replied.

"Funny... Last time we saw you, you were only a baby!" Atticus smiled.

"Atticus, is that really you?" Pan asked.

"In the flesh," Atticus smiled as he rolled his sleeve to flex his arm. "Courtesy of the help of Goku."

"Certainly," Pan replied. "This is my grandson, Goku Jr."

"Are you the Atticus who knew my great-grandfather?" Goku Jr asked excitedly.

"You know any _other_ Atticuses?" Atticus chuckled.

"Apart from the time we visited a parallel universe?" Lionel chuckled. "None that I can account for. Lionel Schwartz, pleased to meet'cha. And these are my kids, from oldest to youngest: Felicity, Zofia, LJ, and David."

Each of the kids waved as their names were called.

"Well, it's good to meet all of you," Pan smiled. "I was just paying respects to Goku Jr's great-grandfather over here."

"Ah, yes, may I?" Atticus smiled back.

"Of course." Pan allowed.

Atticus smiled as he knelt by the grave and took off his fedora with a bow of his head for his old mentor, Goku.

Lionel bowed his head as well. "Rest easy, big guy. We got it from here." he said solemnly.

"You'll be in my heart, Goku," Atticus smiled. "From the moment we first met... Through the good times..."

"I have to admit that I've had some too..." Cherry added. "Even if you ate most of my food before I had a chance to finish eating it."

"He's probably chowing down in the afterlife," Mo smiled. "Wouldn't put it past him."

"Well, c'mon then," said Pan to the others. "We have work to do."

"Bring it." LJ replied.

They soon walked off together to begin a brand new adventure. Mal smiled from that, though she looked thoughtful as she joined them.

"Time for some training." Pan said.

"I'd love to train at the Imperial Academy where Lonnie's parents work at." Mal remarked.

* * *

A short while later, Pan had done an impressive jump over a canyon. "Your turn, Goku! Jump on over!" she called.

"Right!" replied Goku Jr. He got a running start, and leapt as hard as he could... Only to miss and smack into the canyon wall, Wile E. Coyote style, and peel right off.

"Ooh... That's GOTTA hurt!" Lionel winced. "Forget about feelin' it in the morning, folks; he's feeling it right now!"

"You okay, li'l buddy?" Akito asked Goku Jr.

"I think so..." Goku Jr groaned slightly.

"It's all about staying relaxed," Pan advised to her grandson. "Then balance and burn come easy!"

"It's about practice too." Atticus helped.

Pan rolled off, riding atop a gigantic log wheel. "Just like a walk in the park, kids!" she called.

Goku Jr climbed onto his log wheel, but only managed to stay on top for a few minutes before he fell off and it rolled away.

"Oh, no!" Mal gasped from that.

Goku Jr grunted as he was nearly squashed as flat as a pancake as the others tried to help him up. "You're pretty~..." he smiled bashfully to the purple-haired girl.

"Oh, um, thank you," Mal smiled bashfully. "I try my best."

"I call next try!" LJ shouted.

"Consider it a challenge!" Akito replied.

"I already DO!" LJ countered.

Pan looked wearily over to her grandson's clumsiness.

"Sign me up for this activity." Akito smirked at Pan.

"Sure, if you think you can handle it." Pan smirked back.

"Make that a twofer," LJ added. "I'm ready to log on and roll out!"

"All right, just be careful." Pan reminded them.

"Careful is my middle name." Akito replied.

"Actually, it's Benjamin." Mo spoke up.

"Mom!" Akito said, embarrassedly.

"Let's just get this started," LJ replied as he climbed onto a log wheel. "A true ninja is a master of balance!"

"Just focus on your ki," Akito replied. "This... Should be good."

Mo looked a bit worried about Akito.

"Relax," Cherry said. "Our kids go through this sort of stuff all the time. So did we at their age."

"Yeah..." Lionel replied. "LJ might be younger, but he's just as capable as Akito."

LJ cracked his knuckles before starting the wheel rolling. Akito soon rolled after LJ as they both kept perfect balance so far.

"COWABUNGA!" LJ whooped, breaking into a kick-dance while he kept on rolling. "They see us rollin', they hatin'!~"

"I wish I could be as good as them." Goku Jr pouted.

"You'll get there someday." Atticus advised warmly.

"Yeah," replied Lionel. "Just give it some time."

"Try to catch me, Junior!" Akito teased LJ as he was a bit faster than his cousin.

"Oh, challenge accepted!" LJ replied as he started kick-dancing faster, speeding up his log wheel.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Akito laughed as he tried to pick up the pace himself.

"Almost makes me think of Carlos and Jay." Mal remarked to herself.

"Yeah, though Akito's not one to punch someone playfully like that that's smaller and weaker than him." Felicity replied.

"Good to know." said Zofia.

"I'm winning!" LJ whooped. "I wish the others could see me now!"

"You're pretty great!" Akito replied. "Maybe we could do this again sometime on the next visit."

"Sure, why not?!" LJ replied. "You're no slouch yourself!"

Akito chuckled as they kept racing as they were almost over. Pan smiled as she looked a bit proud from this moment.

* * *

Eventually, both boys decided to call it a tie. "I won!" They both cheered together before laughing.

"Great race, cous." Akito smiled happily.

"Yeah..." LJ replied.

"Get ready!" Pan yelled to Goku Jr, as she threw a baseball to her grandson.

Goku Jr tried to catch it, but it hit him in the face and bounced off his head.

"What'm I gonna do with you?" Pan asked. "You can't even catch a ball..."

"Aw, Goku Jr..." Atticus sighed softly.

"You throw too hard," Goku Jr pouted tearfully. "There's no way, Grandma."

"No way? There's no way your great-grandfather would say those words!" Pan replied. "It didn't matter how bad things looked... Even in the most impossible situations, Grandpa always knew there was a way and you could feel that when you were around him. That's what made him so great."

Goku Jr soon sat down to listen to what his grandmother taught him.

"If you train hard, you'll be just like Grandpa someday," Pan continued. "But you have to believe in yourself just like Grandpa did."

"Grandma?" asked Goku Jr. "...I'm really hungry!"

Pan blanched at that. "Well... You take after your great-great-grandpa in THAT area..." she sighed as she led him home.

"Can you make me a great-great cheeseburger?" asked Goku Jr. "Yours are the best!"

"I could go for a burger too." Akito chuckled.

They walked off together into the sunset to get some food together.

"Make my burger a veggie burger." Estelle said.

"Don't worry, I will," Pan smiled. "I see you take after your mother in your diet."

"Ultra Gear!" LJ whooped. "Itadakimasu!"

"You're welcome." Pan smiled at him.

LJ chuckled at that on the way to their house. They soon got settled in to have some dinner.

"It sure is good to have some friends around." Goku Jr said.

"Friends can be a good thing, whatever side you're on." Mal replied.

"That goes without saying..." LJ said in between bites. "Holy Cannoli, this is delicious!"

"Family recipe." Pan smiled from that.

"You succeeded with it!" Vincent beamed.

"Oh, yes, very good." Zofia added.

"No denying that!" Lionel replied.

Everybody else agreed as they noshed onto the food together.

"Perhaps you kids should escort Goku Jr to school tomorrow." Pan advised.

"Solid plan, Miss Pan," LJ replied. "It'd be a neat opportunity to regroup with the others. I'll just send out a radio signal and let 'em know, on what to do and where to go!"

"Others? Oh, your friends?" Pan guessed from that.

LJ nodded at that, and quickly set to work on putting together a makeshift signal device.

"Looks like Carlos in Mr. Delay's Science Class," Mal said. "Is he always that technological?"

"Only when I need to be!" LJ replied.

"I hope that they get here safely." Pan said.

"I'm sure they will." Cherry replied.

Like in the A-Team intro, it seemed like everybody back home did their own thing before they would get called away from home. And so, LJ worked through half the night until he dozed off. Atticus came out to Goku's grave again as he was in deep thought.

"I wish I could be like him," Mal said as she looked out the window. "His life is all put together... I'm still wondering about mine, even after I did what I did for Auradon and the Isle."

"Hey... You'll be okay," replied Lionel. "Try not to let this overwhelm you. You're still young. Goku, meanwhile, has both feet in the grave, but he gets a hero's welcome in the afterlife!"

"That's a pretty good point," Mal said. "I have a lot on my mind. That's why I came with you guys away from school."

"Makes sense to me," replied Lionel. "Cherry usually did the same sometimes, when school was getting on her nerves."

"Yeah?" Mal asked. "Figured she'd stay in school with her friends."

"Oh, heavens, no," Lionel replied. "Sometimes being in school was a huge snooze-fest, so, fortunately, we'd get called off on zany adventures, a tradition that has long since continued to this very day with our kids."

"Hm... I guess that makes sense..." Mal said. "Also... I'm a little nervous about meeting my brother... I mean, my dad left when I was a baby... I didn't even know I had a brother until about last week. How do I know I can trust him?"

"You don't," replied Lionel. "Sometimes you need to take that big ol' leap of faith."

"Hmm..." Mal paused thoughtfully. "I guess... Maybe I'm just thinking too much about Audrey's little sister and what she said."

"Dare I ask?" Lionel asked her.

"She wasn't sure if she could trust me or the others," Mal said. "Especially since she'll be starting classes soon with Dizzy, the Smee twins, and Celia. Audrey tried to tell me that Ariana Rose didn't mean it, she's just a kid, but..."

"I know... I know what that feels like," replied Lionel. "Same thing happened to me when I was still a teenager. Folks were concerned that I wasn't trustworthy."

"O-Oh...?" Mal asked softly as they sat to talk for a little bit.

"Yep... Came from a different place, had unusual powers, and I didn't exactly look like most people," explained Lionel. "So naturally, most of them were wary of me, thinking I might use my powers to take over the world or something silly like that."

"Of course you didn't though." Mal assumed with a small smile.

"Exactly!" Lionel replied. "And eventually, the paranoia faded."

"Well, that's good," Mal said. "Though I did kinda almost turn rogue again after Ben and I met Aladdin and Jasmine as Aziz came to visit with Cassim..." she said bashfully. "Guess I was just worried that I'd go bad again like my mom."

"Hey, we both know that won't happen," said Lionel. "If you believe the bad things people say about you, then you've already lost."

"Yeah..." Mal said softly from that as she took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. "You're right."

"Glad I could help." Lionel smiled.

"I think I'll get a glass of water though before I go to bed." Mal smiled back.

"Solid idea." Lionel replied as he went back to the guest room.

Mal decided to get herself a drink before she would get some sleep with the others. After she got her water, she draped a blanket on LJ's back before going back to bed. Luckily, that night seemed to be a peaceful one for everybody.


	3. Chapter 3

When the next morning came, Pan came to cook breakfast, though she had a lot of company there which were LJ and Zofia's own little adventure group of friends. Fortunately, Lionel was willing to pitch in and assist, so setting the table and cleaning up after breakfast went by without too much trouble.

"You don't have to do this," Pan said to Lionel. "You're my guest after all."

"Hey, it wouldn't be right if I didn't pitch in and pull my own weight around here," Lionel replied. "Sides... You've already done so much for us so far."

"Well... All right... If you insist," Pan remarked. "Just be sure to have plenty of food for Goku Jr. He eats a lot like my grandfather."

"Yeah... We definitely noticed," Lionel nodded. "And we'll be sure to remember to prepare a multitude of foods for him to select from."

"That's for sure," Pan said. "Also, it appears I have more company than I was expecting."

"Heh... Good thing you have extra help!" Lionel smiled.

"I'll say," Pan chuckled a bit. "You think though that they would mind escorting Goku Jr to school with your children?"

"Aw, not at all," Lionel replied. "If LJ likes anything more than having adventures, it's making new friends!"

"Well, that's good to hear," Pan smiled. "Making new friends might feel strange at first, but it's really rewarding."

Lionel smiled at that.

* * *

And so, afterwards, LJ and his friends escorted Goku Jr to school.

"Good to see ya, gang," Zofia said. "Ambrose, glad you could make it."

"It took a while to get my dad to calm down," Ambrose replied. "His team lost the bowling game, so he was pretty angry for a while."

"He seems like the type to get pretty steamed up over a loss." Dib replied.

"Kinda like Vegeta from what I've heard." Akito added.

"...Feels accurate." Kimberly replied.

"Well, this is it." Goku Jr told the others.

"Looks like a pretty decent enough school," Chrissy replied. "Almost looks like the school I used to go to."

"You don't say." replied LJ as they went inside.

"Sure... As long as we don't run into Puck..." Goku Jr mumbled to himself slightly.

LJ glanced at him curiously. "Who or what is a Puck?" he asked. "His parents must be Shakespeare fans if they named him after the goblin in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_."

"He's a boy at this school..." Goku Jr said bashfully.

"He doesn't bully you, does he?" Gaz asked.

Goku Jr looked away shyly.

"Does he?" Gaz repeated a bit firmly.

"Um... Well... Maybe..." Goku Jr said bashfully.

LJ cracked his knuckles. "Guess we'll have to help our new pal out." he remarked.

Luckily, Puck didn't seem to be around yet, so they made it to the classroom.

"Looks like a college classroom." Martin pointed out.

"Guess Satan City is a bit more advanced." Jenny shrugged.

"In the manga, they called it Herculopolis cuz his name was Hercule," said LJ. "Which they also used for the Cartoon Network airings."

"So it's the same place, right?" Jenny asked. "I'm not sure if I fully understand this whole 'World of Dragon Ball Z' thing."

"Yeah, pretty much," replied LJ. "The dub decided to call him Hercule, since he was apparently strong, and because they didn't want to deal with parents complaining that the show was satanic, like they complained about Dungeons & Dragons."

"I suppose that's... Somewhat fair..." Kimberly said as she tried to resist a roll of her eyes.

Regardless, the group headed off to class for the day.

"I'm sure this'll be somewhat better than classes at school if you feel so stressed out from them." Felicity smiled at Mal.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, Flick." Mal shrugged a little from that.

"Oh, are you the temporary transfer students?" A woman asked them.

"Um, yes," Kimberly replied. "You must be the teacher."

"Indeed I am," The woman remarked with a nod. "Come this way, but I don't want any trouble out of any of you."

"Oh, no worries, ma'am," LJ replied. "There will be no trouble at ALL!"

"Good," The teacher replied. "Please, come inside. We should have some empty spaces."

The others nodded to that as they walked off.

"Well, at least she's not like my cousin Kelly." Kimberly said to herself.

LJ gave a confused look. "Who?" he asked.

"What?" Kimberly asked bashfully.

LJ gave a suspicious squint as they went to their seats. Kimberly looked a bit bashful as she mentioned a cousin that the others hadn't met or known about until now. Goku Jr smiled as he felt safe so far while playing with a special pen at his seat until class would start. LJ's mind drifted towards his drawing once more as the class seemed to pass by pretty quickly.

* * *

The bell soon rang, and the kids exited the classroom for the day.

"That wasn't so bad." Dib smiled.

"I think any day of class where you don't get picked on is good for you." Gaz said to her brother.

"Well, yeah..." Dib replied bashfully. "Not to mention that creepy girl Gretchen can't stalk me from here."

"Oooookay..." LJ blinked in confusion, as Goku Jr seemed to be trying to sneak out of the school without being seen.

The others went to catch up with Goku Jr, though he tripped suddenly over his feet.

"Ooh!" Chrissy gasped from that.

Goku Jr yelped as he fell down the stairs from the trip, but luckily, didn't look too terribly hurt. He then grunted as he got to his feet. "What's the big i-- he trailed off once he saw who was responsible: the local bully, Puck, and his two cronies.

Puck came down the stairs and plucked the rocket pen up. "Well... What do we have here?" he sneered.

"M-My pen!" Goku Jr exclaimed.

"MY pen." Puck chuckled with his friends.

Chrissy came to the end of the stairs before glaring as she saw Goku Jr having some sort of bullying trouble.

"Well... Okay... You can have it..." Goku Jr smiled nervously.

"Well, aren't ya gonna fight me for it, chump?" Puck challenged.

"Yeah, c'mon, ya little dweeb!" said the blonde kid. "We know you been training with Pan! Show us whatcha got!"

"W-Well... I wouldn't call it training...." replied Goku Jr. "More like exercise."

"Gimme a break, dude!" said the hat-wearing kid. "We know about your grandma! She's trainin' ya to be a fighter, so that means you wanna fight, right?"

"Maybe he doesn't..." said LJ, taking a defensive stance. "But I sure do."

Mal seemed to glare as her eyes turned bright green from Goku Jr getting bullied like that.

"I just train 'cuz it's fun." Goku Jr smiled nervously.

"There's nothing worse than a coward," Puck huffed before smirking. "Man, who would've thought that Pan's grandson would turn out to be such a wimp?"

"I've heard enough!" Estelle glared before she shot Puck with a Brain Blast.

Puck yelled out as he was knocked back. He wasn't too badly hurt, just a little singed. "Talk about pathetic!" he remarked. "Even Pan's grandson has less guts than a teenage girl!"

"Where do you guys get off?" Estelle glared.

"Hey, at least we ain't weak and pathetic like this Small Fry," Puck smirked. "Though I do have to admit, you and your lady friends are pretty cute."

"Watch it, pal." Felicity warned.

Mal's eyes glowed again as she nearly growled like a dragon like her mother used to.

Puck gulped at that. "...On second thought... You're not even worth my time," he replied. "'Sides, I got a sweet new pen! Later, drillbits!" And he and his pals ran off.

"Loser!" The blonde boy called out.

"Hey, you stink!" The hat boy added.

"And _stay_ out!" Estelle glared before looking back over. "You okay, Goku Jr?"

"Yeah... I guess so..." Goku Jr said as he began to pack up his backpack.

LJ shook his head in embarrassment. What he had just witnessed was particularly painful to watch... Not just because Goku Jr hadn't stood up for himself, but because it reminded him of how HE used to be. Mal breathed a bit heavily with her eyes glowing.

"Mal, no..." Felicity told her friend as she took her face to look into her eyes. "You are not your mother. Do you hear me?" she asked firmly. "You are not... Your mother."

"...I'm not my mother." Mal soon said softly.

"There you go," Felicity soothed her friend. "Now let us be going. No doubt mes parents are waiting for us."

"Right," Mal replied. "Let's go."

"Oui." Felicity nodded as they went off.

* * *

**_Back at Pan's house..._ **

"Don't worry, Phoenix, I'll be back at the office soon," Atticus said on his cell phone. "I promised my family we'd take a vacation all together. You know I can't let them down, especially Akito."

"You just let him walk off with your rocket pen?!" Pan asked in disbelief. "Goku Jr, what were you thinking?!"

"I can buy another one." replied Goku Jr as he rustled through the fridge.

"But it was yours!" Pan protested. "Why didn't you tell him to give it back?"

"Plus, we had your back the whole time." LJ added.

"I'll call you back." Atticus said as he hung up from his lawyer's call.

"There were three of them, Grandma," Goku Jr pouted. "And two of them are a lot bigger than I am. They would've beaten me up."

Pan looked furious with her grandson's cowardice.

"Look, kid, you can't just let mean people walk over you in life," Cherry told Goku Jr. "Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself."

"Especially if a friend helps you," Atticus added. "That's how we first met, isn't it, Cherry?"

"Yes, it is..." Cherry memorized.

"Even if it means losing once in a--" Pan continued, before she froze up like a scratched DVD, dropped the plate she was holding, and collapsed on the ground.

Goku Jr whirled around in shock. "Grandma, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, shaking her by the shoulder.

But Pan didn't respond.

"W-Wake up, Grandma!" Goku Jr sobbed. "Please... Don't leave me, Grandma! Wake up!!"

Without a word, Lionel reached over and picked up Pan's prone form. "We'd best get her to the E.R," he said, before vanishing in a brief flash, and then re-appearing. It is done."

It began to drizzle rain outside as everybody waited.

"Oh, my goodness... Oh, my goodness... Please... Let her be okay..." Felicity cried as she paced around.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Sister." Zofia said to her sister softly.

"You do not know that," Felicity frowned. "I should go after her... I'm hoping to be a nurse when I grow up after all."

"And what of her grandson?" asked Lionel. "I doubt he has any other family members to turn to in this time of need. He wouldn't be living with his grandmother if he did."

"Ooh, I do not know..." Felicity grimaced as she fell to her knees while holding her head.

"Enfante, please relax yourself," Cherry told her oldest child. "You'll stress yourself out."

"I cannot help it, Mother," Felicity said. "I feel too worried."

"It'll be okay... Nothing good comes out of worry..." Cherry said as she tried to soothe her.

"Your mother's right," Lionel nodded. "Just causes lots of stress n' strain; what's to gain if we complain?"

"...Maybe we could look after him for a while?" asked LJ. "While Ms. Pan is recuperating, at least."

"I'm sure that would be okay," Mo said. "We should probably tell her first though when we can see her."

"Mom's right." Akito and Estelle agreed in unison.

* * *

Later, at the Herculopolis General Hospital, the group had gathered to check up on Pan.

"You can't leave me, Grandma," sniffled Goku Jr to the now-conscious Pan. "I'll get really strong, just like great-great-grandpa! The next time those bullies try to take something from me, I'll beat them _all_ up; just don't die, Grandma! What would I do without you?!"

Pan gave a small smile. "You truly _are_ a fine boy...I can see I've been too hard on you," she sighed. "My father trained with Piccolo for a year, and he still ran away from his first fight..."

"I remember that story!" Lionel piped up.

"But that's how he learned... His real strength." said Pan.

"...What's that?" asked Goku Jr.

"Having the courage to stand up for what's right." answered Pan. "You know... You remind me so much of your great-great-grandpa... But you're like my dad when he was little. You're like the best from both of them."

Goku Jr and LJ's eyes began to well up with tears.

"...What are you talking about, Grandma...?" asked Goku Jr.

"I saw it the day you were born," Pan smiled softly at him. "Why they named you Goku. You're a very special boy," she then reached out her hand to her grandson. "And now you have to be strong."

"Grandma!" Goku Jr cried out as he took her hand. "Don't say that, I can't be strong, not without you, Grandma! I need you, please!"

"I love you and I always will," Pan smiled tearfully. "Nothing will change that..." she then grunted as she seemed to be in pain now.

"Oh, jeez!" LJ yelped.

"Grandma!" Goku Jr cried. "Grandma!"

"Nurse, I'm going to need some oxygen here!" said the doctor.

"Right." said one nurse as she headed off. 

Another took Goku Jr outside to the main room. "C'mon, let's go wait outside." she said.

"Is she gonna be okay?!" asked Goku Jr, growing more hysterical by the minute. "Grandma!!!"

They all soon left with Goku Jr.

"It'll be okay, baby." Cherry told LJ to try to soothe him.

LJ just looked on, feeling bad for his new friend.

"...Is she gonna be okay?" Goku Jr asked the nurse.

"...I don't know..." The nurse replied sadly.

"Please, she _has_ to be okay!" bawled Goku Jr. "I dunno what I'll do without my grandma!!!"

"Oh... Kid..." Mal said softly.

Goku Jr ran off suddenly, crying his eyes out.

The others came after him as he cried, running out of the hospital as the other people looked at him, a bit worried as he was crying about his grandmother.

"Please don't let my grandma die!" Goku Jr cried. "I'll do anything, just please don't let her die!"

* * *

Back at Pan's, Kimberly, Dib, Gaz, Chrissy, Akito, Estelle, and Vincent were doing their best to comfort Goku Jr as he sadly clutched a pillow.

"Grandma... Why is this happening? I just want you to be home again!!" Goku Jr sobbed as the rain came down outside.

"I'm sure it'll get better." Chrissy said to him.

"I don't think it will," Goku Jr blubbered a bit. "What will I do without my grandma?"

"Oh, Goku Jr, don't think like that," Estelle said softly. "I'm sure she'll be just fine."

"You don't know that..." Goku Jr retorted, until he caught a glimpse of a photo. It was of Pan, when she was 14, holding one of the original Dragon Balls, next to Giru, her robot companion.

"At least that robot's not like the one that Shaggy's Uncle Albert had." Vincent grumbled to his younger twin siblings.

Akito and Estelle rolled their eyes, but nodded in agreement.

Goku Jr took a look at the picture as it brought back some memories. "Grandma... I'm sorry..." he sniffled. "You tried to teach me so many things, but I wouldn't listen... But I know enough, even that the Dragon Ball has the power to make you well again."

"Anyone noticing this feels very much like one of those Don Bluth movies?" asked Kimberly.

"Like in the way that I feel bad for him and wanna help him sort of way?" Chrissy asked her back.

"I meant the vibe, but yeah." Kimberly nodded.

"I think I can see that too," Chrissy replied. "I definitely feel bad for little Goku Jr."

"That's good that you feel bad for him, especially since you used to usually only care about yourself." Estelle approved.

"Hey, I'm not the one on trial here." Chrissy retorted as the others soon returned from the hospital.

"Just saying." Estelle replied.

"Guys, what do I do?" Goku Jr pouted.

"Well, you shouldn't worry too much," Akito suggested. "That could make you sick to your stomach."

"...I know what I hafta do," said Goku Jr. "I need to find the Dragon Ball so I can make my grandma well again!"

"Well... That's a hell of an idea," said LJ as he came inside. "Gonna need someone to come with you, have your back. I volunteer!"

"Aww..." Kimberly and Chrissy smiled at that.

"I'll go to," Akito decided bravely. "If it's one thing that Akito Fudo: Future Superhero Detective has, it's the courtesy to help out a friend in need."

"Really?" Goku Jr smiled at him. "We're friends?"

"Of course we are, buddy!" Akito smiled back. "Like the old saying goes 'Ya got a friend in me'."

"Okay, so we have ourselves a trio," LJ remarked. "Anyone else want to come along on this quest?"

"Um... Maybe _I_ could go?" Mal offered. "...If that's alright with you."

"Ah, why not?" shrugged LJ. "One more person older than me on this quest doesn't bug me too much."

"Hey, I can be helpful," Mal replied. "Just 'cuz I'm rotten to the core doesn't mean I'm an unsympathetic jerk."

"Nobody was doubtin' ya," replied LJ. "I just figured this'd have more of an 80's vibe to the quest... Kinda like The Goonies."

"Oh... Okay..." Mal said. "...Hey, Felicity?"

"Yes?" Felicity spoke up.

"What's a Goonie?" Mal whispered. "Is that good or bad?"

"Oh, uh, it is good..." Felicity replied. "It's just a team of friends who stick together like you, Evie, Jay, and Carlos."

"Ohh... Okay..." Mal said from that. "Then in that case, I'll be a Goonie."

"And that's 'Good Enough' for me!" LJ beamed. "Okay then... We set off tomorrow!"

"Right!" The others agreed from that.

Goku Jr looked very hopeful from his new friends' help.

"I'll tell the adults." Felicity suggested.

"Good point, don't want them worrying," said LJ. "Also, we can't adventure without having dinner the previous night."

"Just be careful," Felicity advised. "All of you. Remember to stick together. Watch each other's backs."

"Until the battle is done." Mal replied from that.

"Even _after_ ," LJ added. "There are no alliances, only a team united."

They soon saddled up to get ready as Felicity excused herself.

"So, you're all going on a little adventure?" Cherry asked.

"Well, not all of us," Felicity said softly. "Mal insisted on going though with the ones who are.

"Hm... Well... I suppose that would be alright." Cherry replied.

"Uh-huh!" LJ replied. "We're gonna find the Dragon Balls to cure Goku's grandma!"

The adults all looked to each other.

"All right, but take a sweater." Mo suggested warmly.

"Okay, Aunt Mo!" LJ replied. "We'll pack them tonight before we go to bed!"

"Good luck too." Mo remarked.

"Thank you, ma'am," Mal replied. "We'll do whatever we can to help Goku Jr and Pan."

"See? You can be good," Atticus smiled to the daughter of Maleficent and Hades. "No matter who your family is."

"Nurture over Nature!" Lionel replied. "Heck, Goku came from a planet of fearsome brawlers, but he turned out to be a protector... Mostly. He _did_ put the planet at stake several times for the sake of a good fight. Let's hope his great-great-grandson isn't dumb enough to make _that_ mistake."

"I should hope not either," Atticus agreed. "I swear, during my visits and training with Goku, it felt more like I was the adult than him most of the time."

"Ya don't say." Cherry smirked from that.

Felicity giggled a little behind her hand from that.

"Oh, ha, ha." Atticus rolled his eyes playfully.

"Case in point, always giving Frieza a chance," Lionel sighed. "He apparently had trouble realizing that sometimes people can be genuinely bad and don't want to change their ways. Kinda like Steven Universe."

"Yeah... I guess that's a pretty good point..." Atticus remarked.

"So, we'll see ya when we see ya." Akito said.

"We'll try to entertain your friends while you're gone," Cherry replied. "I'm unsure about Ambrose sometimes... He seems... Impulsive..."

"Oh, he can be sometimes, Mother, but he's still our friend." Zofia piped up.

"True." LJ nodded.

* * *

And so, the next day, the group set off on their journey to find the Dragon Ball. Everybody told them goodbye and wished them luck. Cherry gave LJ a container of his favorite snack before letting him go off to a new adventure.

"Thanks, Mom," LJ smiled. "I'll treasure it."

"Have a safe trip now..." Cherry said before she gave him a bit of a hug before letting him go off. "We'll root for you from back here."

LJ nodded, and headed off down the road.


	4. Chapter 4

"Grandma said Great-Great-Grandpa used to have a house on Mount Paozu," Goku Jr said to himself. "Maybe that's where the Dragon Ball is."

"Shouldn't be too hard to find." Akito said to him with motivation.

"Please hold on until we get back, Grandma," Goku Jr hoped. "I'm gonna wish for your health back."

"I dunno what I'd wish for if I could get a Dragon Ball for myself," Akito said. "I guess I'd probably wish for more time with Emi."

LJ shrugged. "Wishes... Who needs 'em?" he asked. "It's stuff like that which made Shenron take away the Dragon Balls all those years ago: cuz people kept on using them as a Deus Ex Machina, or an Easy Fix. The negative energy built up, and wham-bam-booey: the Shadow Dragons were born from that evil."

"What would you wish for if you could, Mal?" Kimberly asked.

"Gosh... I don't really know..." Mal shrugged. "I guess I-"

"Well, well, look who it is!" A familiar voice smirked.

"Aw, great..." Mal groaned as she saw three familiar-looking boys. "They're worse than Carlos's old friends: Jace and Harry Badun."

"Whaddyou want, Goblin Boy?" asked LJ. "We ain't got time for games."

"Where'dya think _you're_ going, Mr. 'I-Train-For-Fun'?" sneered the blonde kid named Rodney.

"M-Mount Paozu..." Goku Jr replied nervously.

"Gimme a break, that's miles from here!" Rodney retorted. "How's a little wimp like YOU gonna make it to Mt. Paozu by himself?"

"He won't be alone, he's got us!" Kimberly retorted.

"So, are you going with him or did his grandma throw him out 'cuz he's a coward?" Okido smirked as he shoved Goku Jr.

"Oh, no! Look out, I think you pissed 'em off!" Rodney chuckled.

Mal's eyes seemed to flash green again from that.

"Get out of our way right now." Goku Jr firmly told his bullies.

" _Make_ us!" Rodney sneered.

"Yeah!" Okido added.

Goku Jr's body seemed to crackle with energy, frightening the both of the goons backwards.

"One side, chumps!" LJ snapped, shoving Rodney into a mud puddle.

Only Puck stood between them.

"Get 'em, Puck!" said Okido.

"Yeah, kick their butts!" Rodney added.

But Goku Jr and the others just strolled right past Puck and went on their way, leaving him surprised.

"Bullies... I can't stand them... Like Kelly..." Kimberly grumbled.

LJ glanced at her. "Again you mention Kelly. Who is it?" he asked.

"All right..." Kimberly sighed. "Kelly is my older cousin who lives far away from back home. She works at a place called Surfer's Paradise... She's... She's pretty much an evil teenage girl who loves to make everybody else around her miserable, especially whenever she visits."

"Jeez... She probably works with Cree and the other Teen Ninjas," LJ remarked. "Seems likely."

"It wouldn't surprise me to be honest," Kimberly said, a bit shifty-eyed. "I know I'm supposed to love my family, but... I feel like I actually really hate Kelly, especially when she blackmails me to do chores when she babysits me."

"Sounds like that icky babysitter that my dad was able to get fired and in trouble with her parents." Akito remarked, referring to Vicky of course.

"Or like Yuna's cousin, Tigerlily... Tough love, my butt!" Vincent added with a snort.

* * *

Some time passed as it was soon time for sunrise as they kept traveling together.

"And so, our adventure heroes venture out together to find the Dragon Ball to help out Goku Jr's grandmother," A narrator's voice said. "We can only hope that they make it in time, though it's very likely that they will."

"Aren't you supposed to narrate for Ash and Emi's Pokemon journeys?" Akito deadpanned at the invisible narrator.

"I thought you would like my company since Emi's not here," The narrator replied. "I know how much you miss her."

Akito looked bashful from that.

"Thanks, Mr. Parsons!" LJ replied. "That _does_ help!"

Goku Jr got dizzy from all the walking he'd done, and flopped down on the side of the road. Suddenly, he heard a loud honking sound. It was from a truck that was coming up near him and his friends. Kimberly helped up Goku Jr to see who was coming. Everybody coughed from the smoke as they took a look at the truck.

"What're you doin', kids? You hurt?" The driver asked as he rolled down the window.

"No, just taking a little rest." Goku Jr replied softly.

"Where ya headed?" The driver asked as he bit into his food.

"To Mount Paozu." Goku Jr said as he got ready to go back on the trail.

"That'll take forever." said the driver as Goku Jr gathered his things and got back up.

"Yeah..." Goku Jr nodded.

"Want a ride?" The trucker asked.

Goku Jr smiled. "That'd be awesome! Thanks so much, Mister!" he replied.

The others looked at each other, suspicious.

"Got room for any more?" Akito asked.

"Yeah, sure, but some of you will haveta go in the back." The driver replied.

The others nodded and did so. Soon after, the truck started up and headed off once more.

* * *

"This whole truck is filled with burgers?" asked Goku Jr.

"Yep," replied the trucker. "Reach back there an' see if you can find mah can-opener."

Goku Jr took a peek behind the curtain leading to the back, but some junk spilled out.

The trucker held out his burger. "Yew want a bite?" he asked.

"Oh, no thanks," replied Goku Jr. "I've got plenty of food. My backpack is full of it."

The trucker seemed to think about that as he glanced over at the pack.

"I don't think it's wise for a truck driver to eat so many carbs," Akito said. "They just make you sleepy."

* * *

Eventually, the trucker stopped by a billboard.

"Why are we stopping here?" asked Goku Jr.

"Time to lighten our load," said the trucker. "Ya know: drain the main vein, take a leaker? Less'n if you can hold it fer two hours..."

Goku Jr quickly began to shake as he covered his groin. "Two hours, huh? I'd better go..." he replied.

"Yeah, better to go as soon as you can than just holding it," Mal advised. "Carlos's dog has that problem too."

"I'd imagine so." Akito replied as he stumbled out, stretching his legs a bit.

Everybody else came out to get the trip over with as Goku Jr was a bit the most eager to go. Just to be safe, LJ took his bag with him as he climbed out of the back.

While Goku Jr was taking a whiz, the trucker emptied his backpack onto his seat. "Hey, kid! Yew fergot yer pack!" he remarked, throwing the empty bag at his passenger. "Thanks fer th' grub, kid!" And he drove off, laughing.

"Hey, come back here!" Goku Jr shouted. "You got my stuff!"

The others called out from that.

"Oh, man!" Mal groaned. "My spellbook was in there!"

"I doubt he could use it anyway." Kimberly replied.

"What, you mean THIS spellbook?" asked LJ, pulling it his bag. "Ta-da!"

"You had it?!" Mal asked with wide eyes.

"I got it before we hopped off." LJ explained.

"Clever," Mal smiled thankfully. "Thank you so much. That was the only gift I've ever enjoyed from my mother."

"No problem." replied LJ as they continued on their journey.

"On the road again," Mal sighed. "I do wish I brought my scooter over."

"Or your limo from what I've heard." Kimberly added.

"Perfect... Right when I'm getting hungry..." Goku Jr mumbled.

"We'll get to a place soon." Akito reassured as he had a good feeling.

"If we're lucky," replied LJ. "This area IS quite rural."

They walked by for a while as Goku Jr felt more and more hungry as the others tried to soothe him.

"What are we gonna do?" Goku Jr groaned slightly.

"Well, you can have some of my snack." LJ offered, holding out a Ziploc bag to him.

"What's this?" Goku Jr asked.

"Some pizza burgers," LJ replied. "They're my favorite snack from Mom. She makes them for me for special occasions."

"Same with my mama and her taquitos." Kimberly added.

"Hmm... Okay..." Goku Jr said as he decided to take some pizza burgers to try out.

"Well...?" LJ asked.

"Wow... That's amazing!" Goku Jr beamed as he seemed to enjoy the snack very much.

"Thanks," LJ replied as they approached a convenience store. "I know my mom will appreciate the compliment."

Something hit Goku Jr in the head.

"What was that?" Kimberly glared a bit.

"What're you so bummed out about, dork?" A familiar voice asked before the others looked to see Puck as he sat in a chair, chucking stuff out at Goku Jr, probably just because he was a bully.

"This nice man stole my food." Goku Jr told him.

"Well, if he's so nice, why'd he steal your food?" Puck asked.

"Nicer than you could ever be anyway." Mal rolled her eyes.

"Ya can't trust people on the road," said Puck. "Especially not nice people."

"Yeah... I guess you're right." Goku Jr replied. "Say...what're YOU doing out here?"

"Cutting school and hiking to Mt. Paozu," Puck replied. "Lord Yao and his demons live up there; if you're gonna get eaten, I don't wanna miss it."

"Yao?" Mal asked. "Like one of Lonnie's uncles?"

"Probably a different Yao." LJ said to her.

"We're going together?" Goku Jr asked his bully out of surprise.

"That can't be good." Akito shook his head.

"Look, not even I woulda pulled a crazy stunt like this, but you did, so I guess I'm comin' with," Puck replied, before glaring. "Or would you rather run home to Grandma like a little coward?"

"No, we're going to Mount Paozu no matter what and nothing's going to stop me." Goku Jr huffed from that.

"Yeah, and luckily LJ was kind enough to share some food with him, so if you don't mind, we'll be on our way." Mal added.

And with that, the group trotted off on their way.

"Oh, yeah? What about more food?" Puck asked them. "You're not gonna make it on empty stomachs."

"We have plenty." replied LJ.

But Puck wasn't listening as he went into the store for a few minutes.

Goku Jr pondered to himself. "What is he doing in there...?" he asked.

His questions were soon answered when a shout of anger came from inside the store, and Puck burst out, wheeling a shopping cart full of food. "Time to go!" he shouted, sweeping up Goku Jr into the cart.

The others quickly decided it best to follow behind as fast as possible.

"There is no way you could pay for all of that!" Kimberly said.

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" Puck replied.

"Hey, get back!" A man's voice called out from inside the shop.

"Sorry, Mister!" Goku Jr called back as they got back on the road. "I promise we'll pay you back!"

* * *

Soon, they were all cruising down the freeway, and narrowly avoided getting hit by a bus, bobbing and weaving through the cars until they shot over a hill and tumbled all the way down.

"This must be what it's like to travel in Fagin's scooter down the streets of New York City..." Akito jolted a bit from the shaking of the travel.

"Probably..." replied LJ with a shrug as they slid to the bottom.

Goku Jr yelped out with worry before he soon found himself enjoying the ride.

"Incoming hill!" Akito called out.

The cart shot over the hill, and the kids, and their cargo went tumbling down the hill before landing gently at the bottom.

"And... Gently down..." Kimberly said softly to herself.

"And that, guys, is how it's done." Puck smiled at them.

"That's awesome, Puck." Goku Jr smiled back.

"Might as well take a break." Akito said as he lay back to relax with them.

"You make a good point." shrugged LJ before joining in.

"I could lay here all day." Goku Jr smiled as he felt in zen.

"Snacktime!" Puck smirked as he brought out a grub to fall onto Goku Jr's face.

Honchkrow flew out to take the grub for himself and swallowed it as he perched onto a tree branch.

"Huh?! Where'd you come from?" Puck glared.

"Good boy." Mal smirked a bit to her Pokemon.

"Spoil-sport..." Puck muttered.

Shortly after, Goku Jr and Puck were using the restroom and going number one.

"Agh, you got it on your hand!" Goku Jr pointed out as Puck finished up.

"Nyaaagh!" Puck laughed as he put out his hands and ran after Goku Jr.

"Boys..." The girls mumbled from the immaturity.

"Ben would never do that." Mal remarked.

"Neither would Vincent," Akito replied. "He always acts so sophisticatedly, just because he's a year older."

Goku Jr looked ahead as he saw something before he fell with Puck on the ground with Puck on top.

"Easy, man, I could've killed you." Puck warned Goku Jr.

"Look over there!" Goku Jr pointed out.

"Cut them a break, they're still in elementary school," LJ replied. "Not EVERYONE can be all mature and debonaire, especially not that early on in life."

"Anyway... You find something, GJ?" Akito asked.

"Yeah, look!" Goku Jr pointed out for all of them to see.

"Is that...?" asked Puck. Goku Jr nodded.

In the nearby distance was Mt. Paozu.

"This is intense," said Puck. "It feels like I could reach out and touch it! We found it, guys! We found Mt. Paozu!"

"We did it! We did it! We did it! Yay!" Kimberly beamed. "Lo hicimos!"

Some of the others chuckled a little from that.

"It'll be dark soon," Akito advised. "Let's get settled a bit, but great work today, gang."

Everyone agreed with that, and soon, they had a nice little campsite set up in the woods.

"You ever camp before, Mal?" Akito asked the purple-haired girl.

"Actually, yes," Mal replied. "Some of us were required/invited to Sherwood Forest for a camping field trip hosted by Fairy Godmother."

"Flick never mentioned that," Akito remarked. "Guess that happened when she came to visit us one weekend off of classes."

"First I've heard of it," LJ muttered. "As well as _that_."

"Don't know what to tell you." Akito shrugged.

LJ waved it off. "...Whatever, it's not important." he replied, a hint of mild jealousy evident in his voice.

Akito looked at him before he tried to shrug that off as he helped set up camp. LJ went back to sitting by the campfire and gazing up at the starry night sky.

Mal breathed in some of the fresh air. "Ah... That actually feels good..." she said softly.

"It's good to get out once in a while." Akito smiled.

"I see that..." Mal smiled back before she took out her phone as she decided to take a group selfie with the rest of them to send to everybody back in Auradon. "#StarryNightWithSomeNewPeeps."

"Teenagers," Puck shrugged. "I just don't get them."

LJ nodded. "Kinda feels like one of my adventures with the Kids Next Door. You two would probably make for some neat recruits... Maybe."

"Ya think so?" Puck asked.

"Stranger things have happened." LJ replied.

"Kids Next Door?" Mal asked.

"Groups of kids who help save innocent kids from adult tyranny," Akito replied. "They're usually enemies with teenagers... Unless they're probably cool enough to be trusted."

"I'd love to be in the Kids Next Door!" Goku Jr beamed. "It sounds so cool! Oh, LJ, do you think I could actually be a member?"

"Sure, buddy," LJ replied. "You got the chops for it. Y'know, you kinda remind me of myself in a way."

"I do?" Goku Jr smiled from that.

"Yup," LJ nodded. "I used to be like you... Afraid to fight and whatnot, but then I had to come outta my shell and face my fears to protect those I cared for. I found the courage, and I know you can too."

"You were like me?" Goku Jr asked in surprise. "How'd you do that though?"

"It took seeing not just my own well-being at risk," explained LJ. "But that of my family's."

"Whoa..." Goku Jr whispered in awestruck and motivation. "I guess I could try to do that too someday... It sounds... Awesome."

"Perhaps you will, my friend," LJ replied. "After all... It worked for your great-great-grandpa."

"Yeah... You're right..." Goku Jr said. "That's what Grandma always says."

Akito smiled from that before holding his stomach. "Well, I'm a bit hungry now..." he said. "Maybe we should get some dinner."

"Now there's an idea." agreed Zofia.

"Sure, I could eat." added Kimberly.

"All right, let's get a campfire going and get some munchies out." Akito told the others.

"All right!" The others agreed to that.

Everybody got comfortable for the night as a campfire was being made and they began to roast hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire once it was all set. It wasn't a five-star meal, but at least they could get some food in their stomachs. Goku Jr didn't seem to eat as much as the others which felt like a contrast between him and his distant ancestor.

"Hey, if you don't like yours, give it here; I'll eat it," Puck muffled to him. "What's the problem? You got heartburn or something?"

"No, I was just thinking about the reason I came here." Goku Jr replied softly.

"Yeah, why are we here anyway?" Puck asked him.

"I'm looking for a Dragon Ball, they're supposed to be magic," Goku Jr explained. "I heard that they make your wishes come true."

"Dude, that's just a fairy tale," Puck scoffed as he ate. "Don't tell me you believe that mumbo-jumbo."

"Excuse me, but my father knew Goku and Vegeta and my Aunt Cherry even used the Dragon Balls to bring my father back to life!" Akito glared from that.

"Well, excuse _me_ , Mr. Big Shot!" Puck remarked. "So-rry."

"Can you blame them for their disbelief?" asked LJ. "The Dragon Balls haven't been seen in a century, so naturally, they have faded into legend. And with the Z Fighters having long since bitten the dust, not many are still around to tell about them."

Akito crossed his arms sharply from that.

"I still have to though," Goku Jr said. "It's the only hope I have for my grandma to be well again."

"Your grandma can't be sick, she's way too tough for that." Puck remarked.

"But she's still... Human... Or something like that..." Kimberly spoke up.

"Well, she may have Saiyan DNA, but she _is_ still mostly human," LJ replied. " _Everyone_ gets sick, regardless of their genetic make-up... Or how tough they are."

"I pretty much never get sick," Akito said. "Estelle does sometimes, but it's very rare. If someone in the family is most likely to get sick though, it would probably be Vincent."

"LJ's point still stands." Kimberly spoke up.

LJ nodded.

"She's a helluva lady," remarked Puck. "Sorry she's not doing well."

"She's dying..." Goku Jr snifflled. "She's dying!"

"Listen, man, don't talk like that," replied Puck. "She'll be fine! Besides, if you wanna hang out with me, you can't keep crying."

Akito turned his head as he thought he heard something in the distance.

"Okay..." Goku Jr said softly as he tried to stop crying.

"Oh, by the way... This is yours..." Puck said as he gave a certain pen back over to the young boy.

"Huh?" Goku Jr blinked.

"Well, go on!" Puck told him. "Take it, dork! It's not cool enough for me."

"'Dork'... Who is he? Kevin?" Kimberly mumbled to herself.

Goku Jr took the pen. "Gosh... Thanks, Puck." he replied.

Puck just crossed his arms and turned to the side before he noticed that they were surrounded by thousands of pairs of glowing red eyes in the forest. And said red eyes happened to belong to a pack of ferocious wolves!

"I thought I heard something!" Akito glared at the wolves.

Puck looked very scared from that. "Guys...?" he called quietly.

"Huh?" Goku Jr looked over.

"RUN!" Puck yelled out with a panic.

Akito tackled one wolf before wrestling it to the ground as they both hit the ground.

"Maybe it's Gonard and Ukyo camping out?" Kimberly replied.

"We haven't seen those two in a long time." Zofia remarked.

Puck grabbed a burning branch and swung it at the wolves to drive them back, but Goku Jr was still running for his life.

"Keep... Going... Goku... Don't... Look... Back... Just... Keep... Going!" Goku Jr yelped to himself.

"Where did you guys even come from?" Felicity glared as she tried to protect some of the others while also fighting some of the wolves.

"I guess we're trespassing in their home." Kimberly replied nervously.

Goku Jr soon got to a tree, but backed up as the wolves surrounded him there. "S-Somebody help me!" he whimpered as he tried to fend himself with his leftover hot dog.

LJ reached into his backpack and took out a few small cherry bombs, then threw them at some of the wolves. As soon as they burst, the few wolves found themselves having been turned into brittle glass sculptures.

LJ took a branch and smashed them apart. "How do ya like my Glass Gas, jerks?" he remarked.

"Goku!" Puck yelled as one wolf leapt over and bit Goku Jr's stick in half.

The young boy shrieked louder and louder, until a burst of energy seemed to surround him, and he seemed to vanish as the wolves crashed into the base of the tree.

"Oof... I don't know what that was, but it was awesome." Mal remarked.

"At least Goku Jr's okay, but what about the others?!" Felicity gasped.

Some wolves came closer to eating and killing Puck as they were still there. However, a bullet was shot which caught their attention, diverting them away from Puck.

"Get away from him, you beast! Right now!" A woman glared as she shot her weapon at the wolves.

The wolves whimpered from that before they chose to run away.

"My goodness, what are you all doing out here by yourselves?" asked the woman as she came a bit closer. "You could've been eaten."

"We're not by ourselves." said Puck as he got up.

The woman smiled. "Well, you could've fooled me!" she replied.

"Waitaminute... Where's Goku?" asked Puck, looking at the tree. "He was right HERE!"

"GOKU!" The others called out.

"Waaaaugh! Somebody help me!" Goku Jr's voice yelped.

Everybody looked around before they looked up to see Goku Jr was up the tree.

"I'm stuck!" Goku Jr cried out. "Why am I up here?! Somebody get me down! Aaaaugh!"

"I got it." Akito said before he flew up to help Goku Jr down from the tree.

* * *

Soon after, the both of them were back on the ground, and they were at the woman's house. Goku Jr and Puck were eating as much as they could, thanks to the woman who'd bailed them out.

"Thanks a LOT!" Puck smiled. "Really nice dinner, ma'am. And we thought we were gonna be roughing it out here!"

"You're welcome, and don't be shy," The woman replied. "You can have as much as you want, so dig in!"

"Gladly." Mal smiled as she happily ate.

"I also got some nice warm beds waiting for you when you're finished." The woman smiled.

"Thanks again, ma'am." Kimberly smiled back.

The others continued to happily eat as the woman shut the door behind her to let them eat in peace, though she was hiding something from them. Her hair turned dark-orange, her eyes red, and her skin turned blue. "Just the big one alone is a buffet _dinner_..." she snickered. "Talk about your unexpected treats..."

"Bu-kaw, Mamba..." said a voice. "Surely you didn't plan to hog them for yourself." It was a lamp, which transformed into a man-sized chicken.

There were soon blobs on the floor as it turned into some sort of creature.

"That wouldn't be polite, now would it?" The voice continued.

"I found them!" The woman glared all around. "You can do what you want with the fat one and others, but the little one is mine and one of the little ones belongs to my new little helper."

"Ugh... What is going on down here?" Another voice asked before we are shown up the stairs to see the Sea Witch's daughter herself: Uma with Octi who sat by her heel like a loyal pet dog.

"Uma, you're just in time," smiled Mamba. "We have some guests, and I was just divvying them between the lot of us."

"So I see," Uma replied before she picked up Octi. "Shall I go see them?"

"If you want," Mamba shrugged. "May as well see them at least once before they become our next meal."

"Fair enough," Uma said. "Come along, Octi, this should be interesting."

Octi merely blinked his eyes from that. Uma came to the kitchen as the guests were there, starting to eat up their food before they would get full and tired.


	5. Chapter 5

LJ was in the midst of eating his pasta before he looked up. "Oh, hey, Uma! I didn't expect to see you here!" he remarked casually.

"Um... Yeah... Hello, there..." Uma said.

The others looked over to see Uma, though Felicity and Mal felt the most shocked to see her.

"Whoa..." LJ remarked. "I know what you two are thinkin', and yes, it IS awkward seeing each other again, especially after last time."

"I'm sorry, but it is a little," Felicity said before she came toward Uma. "Um... Bonsoir, Uma... Octi... You both look well..."

"Hmm... Likewise..." Uma replied. "Where's your Mismagius?"

"Asleep." Felicity said as she took out her PokeBall.

"Honchkrow is with me too," Mal added as she let her crow-like Pokemon perch on her arm as she petted him affectionately like her mother did with Diablo. "Long time, no see, Uma."

"...Is this a bad time?" asked Tyson, peeking into the kitchen. "I'm on dish duty tonight, so I figured I'd clean up, give Uma a break."

"Nah, Tyson, it's cool," Uma told him. "Just catching up on old times with some old chum."

"Oh, okay," Tyson replied as he came into the kitchen and picked up the dishes. "So these are the friends you told me about? Ah, don't tell me... Felicity and Mal, right? Tyson, pleased to meet you both."

"Um... Yeah..." Mal replied.

"That would be us," Felicity added. "It's... Erm... Nice to meet you, Tyson."

"Right back at the both of you," Tyson replied. "I'll go prep the beds for our guests. Uma, you can stay and catch up with your friends."

With a spring in his step, Tyson left the kitchen, whistling to himself.

"Thanks again, Tyson." Uma replied.

Tyson waved as he dashed off.

"Nice friend you got there." Mal said to Uma.

"Yeah... He just came to me one night." Uma replied.

LJ chuckled to himself before continuing to eat a few more bites.

"So... Um... Is he... Better than Harry?" Mal asked.

" _Anybody's_ better than Harry Hook." Uma smirked from that.

"...Better than _me_?" Mal whispered.

Uma looked bashful as Mal blushed slightly. "Well, I dunno about that yet, but that was a lifetime ago." she then smirked.

"Heh... Yeah... I know that..." Mal said sheepishly with a cough.

LJ finished his pasta and put the dish and silverware in the sink. "Welp... I'm done. Maybe Tyson is done setting up the room for the night." he remarked.

The others finished up too.

"I feel like I could use some sleep too." Zofia added.

The others agreed as they got out of the kitchen to get some sleep.

"Let me help you to bed." Uma told them.

"...Okay." Mal said as she let Uma bring them to the spare bedroom.

* * *

They came into the other room which luckily had enough room for all of them with some pillows and beds along with some sleeping bags.

"You guys will stay here for the night." Uma said.

"Sounds good to me." Kimberly replied with a yawn.

"Okay, good night." LJ told Uma as she and Tyson now stood outside the door.

"You all rest up, and tomorrow you'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!" Tyson replied.

"Boy, he sure is cheerful." Akito said as he stretched before winding down to get comfortable with the others.

"He seems nice." LJ replied, taking out a small yellow rod with a spherical top and gazing at it.

"What's that?" Kimberly asked him sleepily.

"Oh, this...?" LJ asked with a yawn. "Nothing important. Just a souvenir I forgot I had."

"Looks cool..." Kimberly smiled sleepily as her eyes felt heavy.

While the others were dozing off, Goku Jr and Puck were wide awake.

"So... That lady who saved us seems nice." said Goku Jr.

"Yeah, super-nice." agreed Puck.

"...This might sound weird, but I don't trust her, for some reason." said Goku Jr.

"Oh?" Puck asked. 

Just then, there were creaky footsteps from outside in the hallway. Through the night, those heavy, creaky footsteps soon heard throughout the house.

Mamba wandered through the house with a sharp dagger as she opened one door and looked ready to have the sharp blade meet some innocent and pure bodies from her nightly conquest, though when she jabbed the blade through the bed, there were no screams of pain and agony. She checked the sheets to find the bed empty which made her frustrated and surprised. "He's gone! How could they know?!" She then gasped.

* * *

Unfortunately for Mamba, Goku Jr, Puck, and the others were now outside on the rooftop.

"Whoa, you were right!" Puck exclaimed. "How'd you guess?"

"I remembered what you told me back at the store," replied Goku Jr. "Never trust nice people on the road."

"Kid, that's genius." Puck remarked.

"Not quite!" Mamba smiled as she opened the window which startled them, nearly off the roof.

"Escape montage!" Akito called out.

"Come on!" Puck said as they rushed into the next window to escape from Mamba.

"Wait up!" Goku Jr yelled as they came in and ran downstairs.

But Mamba had a few more tricks up her sleeves. She pulled down a nearby lamp, which opened a trap-door, and Goku, Puck, and the others plummeted down.

LJ did a double-take as he got to his feet. "Look at the size of that pot!" he exclaimed.

"Lucky we didn't land in it!" Puck added.

"Oh, the night's still young, you'll find your way in soon enough!" Mamba cackled as she appeared on the rim of the pot. "Every last one of you!"

"What is this, _Hansel & Gretal_?" Kimberly remarked.

"It might as well be." Zofia replied.

"You cannot eat us, we do not taste good!" Felicity told Mamba.

"I'm sorry, but I need my secret ingredient." Mamba smirked.

"Oh, yeah?" Mal glared as her eyes glowed green. "You just crossed the daughter of Maleficent and Hades. Big mistake, lady."

"Ooh, I'm shaking!" Mamba mocked. "I don't care whose kid you are! Far as I'm concerned, you all will be the meatballs in my special pasta! There's just something about human meat," she licked her lips. "When cooked just right, it melts right off the bone~!"

LJ glanced at the yellow rod and popped the top open. Inside was a bright red-orange ball.

"And I'm famished!" Mamba grinned as she hopped down to hack them all up to eat.

"Wait, you were so nice and beautiful before," Goku Jr smiled nervously. "Someone that beautiful would never hurt us."

"You thought I was beautiful?" Mamba blushed before poofing back to her gorgeous self with blonde hair briefly as she looked at her reflection. "Gosh, you're right!"

"Now's not the time to play, Brother." Zofia whispered at LJ.

"If we're gonna play... Then I'm playing to win." LJ replied as he plucked the small ball out of the dispenser, and ate it, and he began to jolt and twitch around the room.

Goku and Puck were sneaking towards the door, until Mamba nearly skewered them with one of her many knives. A small wet spot began to grow on Goku Jr's pants as he trembled in fear.

"Just for THAT, you die first!" Mamba sneered, as her hair began to lash out like tentacles.

"Does Uma know about this?!" Felicity asked.

"Oh, some of it was her idea." Mamba smirked.

"No... Just... No... Uma doesn't do that stuff anymore..." Felicity said weakly.

"Doesn't she though?" Mamba smirked.

Puck began to grab a barrel to stop her with as she terrorized them all just so that she could eat, but before he could, a pile of skeletons tumbled out, terrifying him.

"You LIE!" LJ exclaimed as his hands were engulfed with flames. "And when you start to lie... I start to FRY!"

Goku Jr was having the life strangled out of him by Mamba, who laughed evilly as she continued. 

"LJ...?" Zofia asked warily. "What's happening to ya?"

"Just warming up... For my fireball blitzkrieg!" LJ exclaimed as he formed a fireball in his hands and threw it at Mamba, throwing off her concentration and making her drop Goku Jr.

"Gah!" Mamba hissed out of pain. "Why, you--!"

Mal's eyes stopped glowing before she looked over.

"Don't go Dragon, don't go Dragon." Felicity told Mal.

"I might not have to." Mal replied.

"And I have plenty more in store if you're still planning to cook my buddies!" LJ remarked, juggling another fireball.

"Oh, it's go time!" Mamba glared as she got ready to fight back.

"Is your brother gonna be okay?" Kimberly asked Zofia.

"I wish I knew," Zofia replied. "It's almost like he channeled Prince Zuko for that."

LJ shot off a couple more fireballs at Mamba, burning her hair tendrils. Mambo screamed out.

"Let's get out while we still can," Kimberly said as she took out a wand. "And I might have a way out."

"No offense, kid, but I doubt a toy wand will get us out of this jam." Mal replied.

"This is no toy, this is a tool to help us out." Kimberly said as she waved her wand out the window which made a rainbow slide suddenly appear.

"What the...?" Mal muttered.

"It's a long story, but we gotta go, like, NOW!" Kimberly told her.

"Quickly! Out the door!" Tyson called to the group.

The group looked at each other as they rushed out.

"Go! Go! Go!" Tyson told them urgently.

"You flaming little brat!" Mamba glared at LJ. "Didn't your mother teach you any better?!"

"She also taught me to defend myself against creeps like you who wanna eat me for midnight snacks!!" LJ added, and he shot a fireball at the chain holding Mamba's pot up, causing it to spill onto the floor.

"Go on, move it!" Tyson called to the kids. "I... I'm going back to get Uma out of there."

"Are you sure?" Mal asked him. "It looks pretty dangerous."

"Hey, you do crazy things when you're in love." Tyson replied before going back inside to find Uma.

Mal looked at him until Felicity grabbed her friend's arm to pull her down to go outside with them before it would be too late.

"Octi, we gotta get out of here." Uma told her Pokemon.

"What about your revenge?" Octi asked.

"Forget it," Uma told him. "This is way more important... Besides, I promised I'd change after we left Auradon. Teaming up with Aunt Morgana did nothing for us."

"Uma!" Tyson called, coughing from the smoke. "Uma!! Octi!! We need to go, _NOW_! *koff, koff*"

"Tyson, I'm coming!" Uma called back.

"Hurry!" Tyson yelled out.

Uma grabbed Octi as she began to run with him, though looked a bit sickly from the heat, due to being part sea creature, that she almost looked deathly sick from dehydration. Tyson stumbled through the smoke, feeling around, until he tripped over something. Glancing at what he'd tripped over, he soon saw that it was Uma, who'd fallen unconscious, with Octi nearby, wiping his sweaty head. 

Bending down, Tyson put Octi onto his head, then picked up Uma, bridal-style, and carried her out of the house as the fire began to spread. "Okay... Need to get her... To a lake..." he panted.

Kimberly took the others to a safe ground from her rainbow trail.

"Alright, I'll never make fun of rainbows again, even if they're dumb and girly." Mal told the others.

"You tomboys are all the same sometimes, I swear." Kimberly rolled her eyes.

* * *

LJ's flame powers soon fizzled out, and he was back to normal. "Is she coming?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not looking back!!" Chrissy exclaimed, as she and the others soon came to a rope bridge.

"When I get back... If I _ever_ get back..." Puck wheezed. "I'm gonna start training... With you... An' yer grandma!!"

Goku Jr collapsed on the ground.

"What're you doing?" asked Gaz.

"I can't go across... I'm afraid of heights!" Goku Jr whimpered.

"Well, I'm afraid of pretty blue man-eating she-demons with butcher knives!" Puck replied. "So let's scram!"

"I can't, Puck..." Goku Jr said. "I'm too scared."

"But we have to cross." Kimberly told him.

"I'm sorry, guys, I just can't." Goku Jr gulped.

"There's nothing to be scared of Goku, look." Puck told him as he soon crossed the bridge by himself.

The others watched him go, until he nearly fell with a hole in the bridge, but he luckily didn't fall off of the bridge.

"Puck!" Goku Jr cried out from that.

Puck looked scared a bit before he soon stood up to keep going and made it to the other side without harm. "See? And I'm twice your size! It's totally safe!" he then called out to Goku Jr.

"Come on, you can do it," Kimberly soothed Goku Jr. "It'll be okay, I know it will be."

Goku Jr swallowed, then made his way slowly across the bridge...and then he looked down. Bad idea.

All that greeted him was what looked like an endless ravine.

"No, Goku! Don't look down!!" Puck shouted to his friend, whose knees began to buckle.

"Don't stop, man!" said Dib. "You're halfway across!!"

"I'm... Not scared..." Goku Jr managed to say. "I... Can do this..."

And so he got up, and continued across the bridge.

"That's it, Goku!" shouted Puck. "Don't look down, just look at us!"

But then, the wind began to blow, causing the bridge to sway. Goku Jr dropped to his knees. "HELP ME, GUYS, I'M SCARED!!" he wailed in terror.

One-by-one, the rope supports began to unravel.

"Hurry, Goku!" shouted Puck. "Make a run for it!"

"I can't let go, it's too windy!" Goku Jr replied.

The ropes snapped as it seemed like the bridge was about to fall.

"GOKU!" Puck cried out.

The bridge bounced as Goku Jr dangled a bit. Akito got ready to zip in after Goku Jr as this looked very bad.

"HELP ME!! PLEASE, I DON'T WANNA DIE!!" Goku Jr shrieked in terror.

"Hold on, Goku!!" Puck called out to him. "Nobody's gonna die, I'm comin' for ya!!"

And so, Puck made his way over to grab Goku by the hand. "Okay, Goku, take my hand." he instructed.

"But... I'll fall!" Goku Jr replied.

"No, you won't," Puck said. "I've got you, I promise!"

"I'm scared, Puck!" Goku Jr whimpered. "I don't wanna let go! If I fall, I'll die!"

"It's the only way! Hurry!" Puck called. "This is our last chance, man!"

At that moment, the ropes gave way, and Goku Jr was swung to a precipice below the other half of the cliff. 

Puck, sadly, wasn't so lucky, and he was sent tumbling off the bridge. "GOKU!!" he screamed as he plummeted, disappearing into the abyss below.

Akito soon sped off like a roadrunner as he came to help Puck.

"...How fast IS that guy?" Chrissy asked.

"He shares every power with the Loonatics." Felicity replied.

"Gary Stu, much?" Chrissy shrugged.

"Sounds like it," LJ sighed. "This is _supposed_ to be the moment where Goku Jr learns that he has to be brave to stand up for others, but sure, let's just make that scene completely pointless!"

Akito suddenly came back.

"Oh, did you hear that?" LJ asked him.

"Super-hearing," Akito reminded. "Sorry, I guess I couldn't fight my superhero detective aspirations."

"Well, you're lucky it was ME and not Drell who pointed it out." LJ told him.

Akito looked sheepish before calling out. "You can do it, Goku Jr!"

Goku Jr gazed over the edge of the precipice, into the abyss. "No... No, please..." he sobbed. " **PUCK...!!!** "

* * *

The next morning, Goku Jr managed to make his way up the other side of the cliff and treated his wounds while the others were eating breakfast. The young Saiyan gazed into the campfire and saw a brief image of Puck eating, and it made him feel even more guilty about the fact his hesitance had led to his friend's untimely demise. He sadly ate his noodles.

"So... Any strange dreams...?" Mal asked.

"I thought I saw the Teen Titans in my dream..." Zofia said softly, though she felt worried about Goku Jr.

"Yeah?" asked LJ sadly. "How'd that play out?"

"It was weird... It was like those Teen Titans we met with that Jade Wilson project, but it was also the Teen Titans that Mother used to talk about." Zofia explained.

"You mean like a crossover?" Kimberly asked.

"I guess that would be the word for it," Zofia shrugged. "It also reminded me of that Ninja Turtles adventure we read about sometime after we met Poppy Dennison."

"Curious..." LJ replied. "But we can at least focus on the here-and-now."

Shortly, Goku Jr and the others came to a fallen tree.

"Goku!" called a familiar voice, and Goku Jr's spirit soared.

"Puck, you're alive!" Goku Jr exclaimed, seeing his friend at the other end.

"That's it, Goku, you got this!" said Puck, before he faded, revealing it to be an illusion.

Goku Jr's eyes filled with tears, and he sniffled, remembering what had happened, and the fact that it was his fault.

"Hey... It'll be okay... We promise." Gaz told him.

"It's all my fault," Goku Jr sniffled. "I could've done something."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Gaz replied. "Trust me, okay? I'm usually not this empathetic."

"Why'd he do it?" Goku Jr asked, gazing at his pen. "Why didn't he just let me fall? Grandma says I'm special, but I'm not. Why can't I be brave like you, Grandma...?"

"Aw, man..." Gaz sighed a bit from that.

They soon heard some yelling out and the bushes rustling beside him. Mal glared as she looked ready to fight whoever was there. However, it appeared to be a scared bear cub who ran out of the bushes.

"Koda? Oh... Sorry, you're not Koda." Akito said to the bear cub.

"I know you're there, bear! I can smell ya!" said a voice with a Cockney accent. And out of the grasses leapt the strange creature that was at Mamba's cottage last night.

"That bear's mine, now get lost or I'll eat you all too!" The creature snapped.

The bear cub shook with fright, before looking at Goku Jr and the others with a pleading expression in his eyes. 

Goku Jr looked back at the snickering creature, and then back to the terrified cub. He decided to make a run for it, leaving the cub to its fate. "Run, Goku, run... Don't look back... Just keep running...." he panted, before his inner thoughts took over. 'What am I doing? ...What would Puck do? What would Grandma do.. She said that true strength is having the courage to do what's right..." Opening his eyes, Goku Jr ran back to save the cub, hoping that he wasn't too late to fix his mistake.

"Ugh... I gotta do something, guys..." Akito groaned.

"Stay put." Mal said as she put her foot on his back.

"A cub sandwich!" The creature grinned as he scared the poor bear cub to death.

Goku Jr then whacked a wooden stick sharply onto his head to make him stop.

The creature blinked before looking over to see who had done that as he found that it was Goku Jr. "Oh, there you are... For a second there, I thought I was in trouble... Wait a second!" he then said to the young Saiyan. "You're the one that escaped from Mamba. Good! I'm glad ya escaped..." he then smirked. "Now I don't haveta share ya with anyone!"

"Ugh, that guy's worse than my mom's Knuckleheads." Mal complained.

Goku Jr lunged, with his stick in hand, but the creature snapped it with his tail, before knocking Goku Jr for a loop. The creature then leapt down and tried to gobble the young Saiyan whole, but Goku Jr let off a serious burst of power, which sent the monster flying over the hills. Goku Jr then collapsed, exhausted from what just happened, and covered with a thin layer of drool.

"Looks like that guy's blasting off again!" Felicity grinned sheepishly as she attempted a joke.

Akito and Vincent chuckled, but LJ, Zofia, and their friends just looked at Felicity as if she'd grown a second head.

"*sigh*... Forget it..." Felicity sighed with a small sweat-drop.

Goku Jr sighed and panted as he fell to his knees from a bit of exhaustion.

"Let's heal you up," Mal told the bear cub. "Too bad Estelle's not here... This would be a snap for her."

"Tell me about it, but luckily we still have a First Aid Kit." Akito replied.

And so, Goku Jr began to bandage up the bear cub who didn't feel so scared anymore. "So, we're out here looking for the Dragon Ball, see? Because they have the power to heal my grandma. I was doing great until I got scared on a bridge and made my friend Puck fall off," he then looked up at the sky. "I'm pretty sure he's dead. Poor Puck, I wish it was me, not him."

"Ah, Goku, don't say that." Vincent told him softly.

"It was my fault," replied Goku Jr. "I should've trusted Puck. If I did, he wouldn't be lying at the bottom of some ravine right now."

LJ sighed. "Well... You got a choice, kid: either keep beatin' yourself up over this, or learn from it and power forward," he said. "Puck wouldn't want you giving up, and neither would your grandmother."

The bear soon licked Goku Jr's face.

"Are you trying to cheer me up?" Goku Jr asked his newest friend. "Do you understand?"

The bear cub growled with a small smile.

Goku Jr laughed a bit from that before they all gasped to see a bigger bear who must've been the cub's mother who growled at them. "I didn't do anything, I swear, I was just trying to help!" he then cried out in a panic.

The bear cub rushed out to its mother and softly growled at her to calm her down. The mother bear soon calmed down since her cub wasn't in trouble before they shared a smile at Goku Jr and his friends.

"We hafta go now," said Goku Jr, before the bear leaned down and lifted him and LJ onto her back.

"Hey, what's this now?" asked LJ. "You're givin' us a ride, are ya?"

"And take us to the Dragon Ball, huh?" added Goku Jr.

The cub growled in affirmative.

"Come on, we better follow them so we don't get left behind." Mal suggested.

"That might be a good idea." Felicity agreed.

They soon traveled together on the mother bear's back, though Mal carried the others on her back as her dragon form.

* * *

Uma was knocked out briefly before Tyson got a cup of water to splash on her face. This made her cough and sit up from the water splash before looking around. "Huh? Where am I?" she then asked. "Mamba? Anybody? Oh, Tyson. Hello."

"Glad to see you're okay," Tyson smiled. "I was pretty nervous when I found you passed-out inside the house."

"Dehydration," Uma sighed softly. "It's brutal to us sea-folk."

"So I've noticed," Tyson replied. "Octi's in that pond over there. I figured he might need a little time to recuperate."

"That'll be good for him," Uma said. "Uh, thanks for looking out for me like that. That's hard to find in a guy nowadays."

"Aw, it's no problem," Tyson replied with a blush. "I was happy to help."

"I can't believe I let my own rage and greed let me listen to that lady," Uma said. "I guess Mom and Aunt Morgana really got to me when I agreed to join her to get my revenge, even after I made amends with Mal and Felicity."

"I suppose," replied Tyson. "But... Admitting ya goofed is the first step to fixing said goof-up."

"So I've heard..." Uma remarked as she came to check on Octi.

Octi looked like he was back to normal. "You're okay! Sweet!" he exclaimed to Uma, climbing out and hugging her.

"Aw, my little Octi..." Uma cooed as she hugged her Octillery back. "Thank you again, Tyson."

"You're welcome," Tyson smiled. "But what should we do now? Go and help those friends of yours?"

"Yeah, let's go," Uma replied. "I'm good to go now. You okay, Octi?"

Octi nodded at his trainer.

"Aw, that's a good Octi~..." Uma cooed to her Pokemon.

"Well, then, we'd best be going!" Tyson replied, before seeing the large creature, Susha, flying over their heads. "And I'll wager money that they went in THAT direction!"

"All right, Octi, let's go," Uma said. "You look wore out though."

Octi nodded a bit from that.

"Very well... Get some rest," Uma replied before she took out her PokeBall to put Octi back inside. "Tyson? Let's hit the road."

"Gladly!" Tyson agreed, and they took off in the opposite direction of where Susha had been sent flying.

"This crazy world and its crazy creatures..." Uma said to herself.

"That goes without saying." Tyson agreed.

"Hm..." Uma hid a small smirk from that. "I still think you'd be perfect for my crew. I wish I could've grown up with you sometimes instead of Harry Hook or Gil LeGume."

"Well, I'd be happy to join!" Tyson replied. "Maybe after this is done!"

"Hm... Yes... Perhaps a bright new future for my crew," Uma said. "I did promise I'd play a little nicely after the last time I saw Felicity before she decided to leave Auradon."

"Sounds cool to me," Tyson replied. "I can't wait to see what that future holds for both of us."

"Yes... It sounds pretty nice so far..." Uma cracked a small smile. "I've never felt the way I feel around you around anybody before."

"Aw... Thanks," Tyson replied. "I can say the same about you!"

Uma smiled a bit as they walked off together. As they walked along, they seemed to get close until Uma looked up to see a familiar-looking shape in the sky.

"That cloud looks like a dragon." Tyson remarked.

"...That's not a cloud... That is a dragon..." Uma replied. "In fact, that's... MAL!"

"Then we're going in the right direction!" Tyson replied as he picked Uma up and began running after Dragon-Mal.

"Hey, wait up!" Uma called out on the way.


	6. Chapter 6

Goku Jr smiled as he sat comfortably on the mother bear with her cub beside her as they walked through the forest together while Mal followed them in the sky.

"We should be getting there by now." Vincent panted a bit.

"Hopefully anyway." Akito replied.

"Hey, look up there!" Goku Jr called out suddenly.

"What is it, Goku Jr?" Chrissy asked.

"It must be my great-great-grandpa's house!" Goku Jr smiled as he saw a house not too far away before he climbed off of the mother bear's back as he decided to run down the path the rest of the way. "Come on!"

"Sure, kid!" LJ called as he ran behind with the others. "We're right behind ya!"

Goku Jr laughed with glee until he came to a screeching halt. "...It's you again!" he exclaimed.

Standing in his way were Mamba, Susha, and Torga, although this time Mamba's hair was short due to it being burnt off.

"Don't be so surprised," Mamba grinned darkly. "You butchered my hair! I had to track you down and kill you, so sorry!"

Mal soon landed before she glared and growled to see who was there.

"Great, it's that crazy lady." Felicity glared.

"Back for another beat-down, are you?" LJ asked. "I figure you're just too dumb to know when to quit!"

"But Mamba, you look ravishing that way." squawked Torga.

Mamba blushed like a schoolgirl. "...Really?" she asked.

"Hey, lovebirds, they're making a run for it!" Susha pointed out.

And he was right: Goku Jr and his friends were making a run for it in the opposite direction.

"Curse that rat! You are so dead!" Mamba growled as they chased after the group.

"Good thing running's a past time of mine!" Akito called out.

"Yeah! Good for you!" Felicity rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, Goku Jr and the others seemed to disappear which made Mamba and her group suddenly stop running.

"How did they disappear?!" Torga gasped.

"It's that kid!" Susha told him. "He has strange powers!"

"That's what I said!" Mamba replied.

"Aw, gimme a break!" Torga retorted.

However, the group had actually fallen to the bottom of the trench below... Where they'd conked their heads. The three yokai looked down into the trench, only to see Goku Jr and LJ, double-mooning them.

"How ya like me _NOW_?!" LJ cackled.

"That's what you call strange powers?!" Torga snapped before he flew down into the trench.

The two boys yelped and scurried off down the mountain behind their friends.

"Don't look at us like that," LJ told Akito. "It was funny and you KNOW it!"

Akito just shook his head with slight dismissal. "I expected worse maturity from Danger Duck."

Some sort of black sphere was soon thrown out which rolled all over on the ground with them.

"...I thought that was a bomb for a second." Vincent commented.

The sphere then stopped as a new form was shown which looked like a purple warthog. The mother bear looked nervous, but tried to stay strong for her cub.

"Go on, Bear," The form mocked with a smirk. "If you think you can defeat The Great Lord Yao, that is."

"So that's Yao." Mal remarked to herself.

"It would appear so." Zofia replied.

"Yao, Schmao! He doesn't scare us!" LJ replied as he took out another small ball from the dispenser, and then ate it.

"Seriously, where do you get these toys?" Mal asked him.

"Who said they were toys?" LJ asked as he gained ice armor.

"Well, okay, where did you get this stuff?" Mal asked. "I heard that Batman had a lot of stuff like that in his special belt."

"Well, I got this from when I met Pac-Man," replied LJ. "And I forgot I had it until now!"

"You met PAC-Man?!" Mal asked.

"You shouldn't be surprised with the lives our mother and uncle led that let me be enrolled into Auradon Prep with you, Evie, Jay, and Carlos." Felicity told her.

"Heh... Good point..." Mal replied.

"Whatcha doin', kiddo?" Yao laughed at LJ.

"I'm about to put you in the freezer section!" LJ remarked, before he inhaled and let off a chilly wind that began to encase Yao in a cocoon made of ice.

Yao yelled out before he was soon frozen solid.

"We could be next," Susha glared at LJ. "No way I'm letting some kid get the better of me though."

"Then come on, Fish-Face!" LJ retorted. "You want some? **COME GET SOME!** "

Susha yelled out as he charged right at LJ. Kimberly and Chrissy held each other worriedly for LJ, though Zofia knew that her brother would be just fine. LJ inhaled as hard as he could, and like the Big Bad Wolf, let out a huge gust of icy wind that coated Susha from head to toe.

"Guess he should've brought a coat!" LJ chuckled, feeling awfully proud of himself.

"I have so many questions." Mal said as she held her head.

"Pretty good, kid..." smirked Yao, bursting from the ice and wrapping his branch-hand around LJ's neck. "But not good enough. Especially not to stop the Lord of the Demons!"

LJ struggled to break free, but his ice power didn't seem to affect Yao anymore. All he could do was kick and flail his legs around as Yao strangled the life out of him.

"Atta boy, sire!" Susha yelled. "Crush the little puke!"

"Make 'im suffer for what he did to me!" Mamba cackled. "I might just get my meatball after all!"

"Just be careful, LJ." Zofia whispered hopefully.

Goku Jr shook a bit as he felt a jolt of energy deep within himself from Yao's demise over LJ, though the demon wasn't as successful so far.

Akito lunged at Yao... Only to get knocked back by a fierce blow to the chin. "Whassamatter? You gotta rely on your little friends to bail you out?" smirked the villain. "Don't worry... After you're finished, they ALL get a turn to die!" he cackled some more, tightening his grip on LJ's neck.

" **PUT 'IM DOWN...!** " Goku Jr boomed, a wave of electricity surrounding him in a cocoon of light.

When Yao turned around, he saw Goku Jr glowing with electric energy, as well as his hair pointing straight up and being yellow, and his pupils being teal.

"I won't let you hurt my friends..." Goku Jr scowled. "... **LORD YAO, YOUR REIGN IS OVER!** "

"Whoa..." The others whispered in shock from that.

Uma and Tyson looked around as they felt something from where they stood and they soon began to run off to where the others were.

"Akito, are you okay?" Vincent asked his little brother.

"I think Goku Jr has reached Super Saiyan..." Akito said, though a bit weakly from Yao's abuse.

Suddenly, despite his small size, Goku Jr began to brawl up against Yao. He began smacking Yao around like a ragdoll, making him drop LJ.

"Nice job, kid..." LJ grinned as he got to his feet. "Time to roast this frosty ham."

Yao growled. "I've eaten countless humans in these woods, AND NEITHER OF YOU WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT!" he roared.

LJ chuckled. "That's what you think, Pinkster... We're tougher than the average human!" he replied.

"Let's give him a great, big what for." Goku Jr said to LJ bravely.

"Verily, old chum!" LJ grinned. "Like Ben 10 used to say: it's hero time!"

"All right then, let's do it!" Goku Jr replied.

"Hm... I like this side of Goku Jr." Mal approved.

* * *

Eventually, Uma and Tyson caught up with them.

"Uma?" Mal called to her former rival. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just got dehydrated," Uma replied. "I had to recuperate with Tyson. Octi's getting some rest though." she then added as she showed her PokeBall.

The two kids then roared out as they slammed into Lord Yao, knocking him into a rock wall and causing him to fall over, getting buried by a hail of rocks.

"I... Am... Lord... Of the... Demons..." Yao wheezed. "You... Are... But... Children... How... Can... This... Be?" and his eyes shut for the last time.

LJ and Goku Jr glared up at the trio.

"Who else wants some?" LJ asked, snapping his jaws for added effect.

The evil trio soon bolted away at the last minute.

"Cowards." Akito smirked from that.

Goku Jr was soon back to his old self before he let out a groan and fell backwards from exhaustion.

"Rest up, kiddo," Chrissy advised. "You've earned it."

LJ picked Goku Jr up. "You can say THAT again. Feels nice being the hero," he replied. "Also... Adios, losers! Come back anytime if you want your butts kicked again!" he laughed before looking at the others. "So I'm immature. Big whoop! I'm still a kid, thank you very much. Trying to act all mature and debonair is overrated anyway, plus it's pretty immature to act older than you are."

"Huh... I guess I never thought about that before," Vincent remarked. "I always assumed because I was a year older than my brother and sister I didn't know I had was that I had to act more mature, especially when I'm around Jenny."

"Didn't know you had?" Mal asked. "What does that mean?"

"I did not tell you?" Felicity replied. "Vincent was kidnapped by Bill Sykes when he was a baby."

"Hm... Well... At least his father didn't abandon him after he was born." Mal muttered as she crossed her arms a bit firmly.

"Hey..." LJ replied. "You turned out okay without him. Abandoning you was his mistake... One that he has to live with for the rest of his life."

"Hm... I guess..." Mal sighed a bit.

"Plus he promised to visit as much as possible," Felicity reminded. "Look at how the Isle and Auradon turned out after our final battle when Audrey went rogue."

"That's true too..." Mal said softly. "Guess I'm still a little mad at my dad. Just think about how he probably treats my brother he apparently likes better."

"Try not to let it bug you too badly." Gaz replied.

"I guess I could try that..." Mal shrugged.

"Hey, I never knew who my father was until I was about six or seven," Uma told Mal. "That's when Harry and I started our crew before you and I first met."

"And Uma and I are going to find her dad!" Tyson added. "You can come with if you like... You could use the opportunity to reconnect."

"Hmm... I guess I could do that..." Mal shrugged. "What have I got to lose?"

"Plus it'll help your dull streak back in Auradon since you said you needed a break from there." Felicity said.

"Oh, Felicity, you're so kind and helpful." Mal admired.

"I do my best, that's for sure." Felicity beamed from that.

"Well, we aren't gonna get any further just sitting around here," LJ replied. "On to Mt. Paozu!"

"Huzzah!" The group proclaimed.

"This quest first, we'll worry about the other later." Uma said to Tyson.

"Uh, we should probably do something about him first though." Kimberly spoke up as Goku Jr was still knocked out.

"I got him," LJ replied as he carried Goku Jr comfortably and walked off. "...Hopefully you don't think that's too immature of me, Akito." he replied with a hint of disdain.

"It's okay..." Akito said softly. "It's your adventure. I just hope Estelle can help heal us up a bit though."

"Well... Maybe she will," LJ replied. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Akito said softly.

"I mean, I look up to ya, but it _really_ cheeses me off when you gotta undermine the rest of us," LJ replied. "Guess you do take after your dad after all."

"...Well, sometimes I don't wanna be like my dad," Akito said to him. "Sometimes I wish I could be a normal, mortal boy. I feel honored these days when your mother calls me 'Baby Atticus' even though I used to hate it, but sometimes... Sometimes I wish I had a normal life."

"Pfft, what, and give up all _this_?" asked LJ. "I guess you can at least learn to be more humble. And try not to take life so seriously... And be less of a stuffed-shirt fuddy-duddy. Besides, being normal sucks. You know how many 'normal' people snap like twigs cuz their lives are as dull as dirt? LOTS AND LOTS!"

"Well, it's not easy sometimes," Akito replied. "Just 'cuz I'm as strong and adventurous as Dad, it's like I'm supposed to be just like him while Vincent mostly looks like him. Haven't you wished you had a different life sometimes?"

"Hell no!" LJ replied. "Sure, I wish that Felicity would visit us more often cuz I'm a little jealous that she seems more like a sister to you than me; sometimes I wish I got to have more neat adventures, like that Pokémon one that hasn't happened yet; but give up my life? As if! Other than the small grievances I have, I wouldn't change a thing... Apart from making half the people I know be less condescending towards me. I mean, what am I to them: am I a joke, a knight or a brother? I mean honestly, they look down on me cuz I'm younger!"

"Oh, LJ, I didn't hurt you, did I?" Felicity asked softly.

"Nah, it just bums me out a little," LJ replied. "I mean, I know I seem like it doesn't faze me, but it does and I just don't say anything since I don't wanna get in the way of your good times."

"I'm sorry, LJ," Felicity said softly. "I've decided to visit more often though since I'm out of school now, but... I have a favor... For both of you... David too of course."

"As in me too?" Zofia spoke up.

"Yes," Felicity replied. "How would you like to come visit Auradon for a week or two with me if you aren't too busy?"

"Well... Okay!" LJ replied, hugging his eldest sister.

"Brr, it's kinda chilly out here from the hug." Zofia smirked playfully.

"Oh, get in here." Felicity giggled before she let Zofia in their little sibling hug.

"Alright, next stop, Goku's old house!" LJ added as he picked his friend up again and headed off in front.

"Right-o!" Akito added as they dashed that way.

* * *

They came to the house and opened the doors which greeted them with a thick cloud of dust that made them cough from the years that had come before them from the age of the house.

"Sure is dusty." Uma coughed a bit, but luckily she would be fine.

"Makes sense to me," Vincent replied. "The place IS 100 years old."

"This place kinda reminds me of my room..." remarked Goku Jr. "I hope Great-Great-Grandpa didn't know how to hide things very well... If he did, I'm in trouble."

"Okay, everyone; split up and search the place until we find it." LJ instructed.

"Right!" The others agreed and soon went their separate ways.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Akito said as he took out his junior detective magnifying glass.

"It's about as messy as Jay's side of his and Carlos's room." Felicity commented.

"You ain't kiddin'." Mal murmured.

Eventually, Kimberly noticed a glint of orange light on the wall, making her look over to a small purple pillow with... An orange ball on top, having 4 red stars inside! "Guys!" she pointed out. "I found it!"

"Way to go, Kim!" Chrissy cheered.

"The Dragon Ball!" Goku Jr beamed. "I don't believe it!"

* * *

They came outside with the Dragon Ball.

"I did it, Grandma; you're going to be okay," Goku Jr smiled as he knelt before the ball. "Phew..."

"All right, kiddo, make a wish." Uma told him.

"Mighty Shenron... Please, make my grandma well again," Goku Jr said. "And if you could do one extra thing, please bring Puck back to life. He only died because he was trying to help me."

The two bears watched.

"Shenron? Didn't you hear me?" Goku Jr asked. "I wish my grandma was well again!"

"You sure you didn't miss something your grandma mentioned about the Dragon Balls and how they work?" asked LJ.

"Don't you need like seven in total of Dragon Balls to get a wish?" Felicity asked. "That's what Mother told us about that time Uncle Atticus died when he tried to save her."

"Well...I guess he missed out on that part of the TED talk..." Dib replied.

Goku Jr looked down. "Nothing's happening... Why aren't you coming out, Shenron? My grandma is gonna die if you can't help her! Can't you understand that?" he yelled. "You're my last hope! Please, listen...I wish that my grandma was well again!" He opened his eyes, but still, nothing happened. "Why... ANSWER ME!" he screamed, his eyes full of tears. "WHY WON'T YOU GRANT MY WISH?! WHAT'D I DO WRONG?!" In a fit of rage, he picked the Dragon Ball up and threw it, and it rolled towards a familiar pair of shoes.

"Ooh..." The others gasped a bit from that.

"Why did I even come here?!" Goku Jr cried as he didn't see who the others saw so far. "Puck was right! It was just a fairy tale!"

"Your friend is right," A voice said behind him. "You have to get all seven Dragon Balls for it to work, silly."

Goku Jr sniffled until he heard someone right behind him as he looked over to see who was there with them.

"I'm surprised Pan didn't tell ya that." The stranger chuckled as the others knew him all too well, though Goku Jr didn't seem to know him.

"Who are you?" Goku Jr asked their company.

"Well, let's see... I'm your great-great... Now how many greats would that be?" The stranger replied before shrugging. "Ah, never mind, just call me Grandpa Goku!"


	7. Chapter 7

LJ did a double-take. "Goku?! As in... Goku _Sr_?! But that would make you... 153 years old!" he exclaimed. "And to answer, that'd be two greats."

"You betcha," Goku Sr smiled at his grandson and friends. "I've been watching over you all... And I gotta admit, you're all getting strong."

Goku Jr put his head down sadly. "Thanks, Grandpa... But I'm not strong. I'm weak." he sighed.

"What're you talkin' about?" asked Goku Sr. "I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true!"

"I guess you're not really one to lie." Felicity said to Goku Sr.

"Grandpa, am I... Are we brave too?" Goku Jr asked softly.

"Are you kidding? Of course you are!" Goku Sr smiled. "You have to be! After all, you're my... Uh... What was it again?"

"I want you to think about this for a second." Mal deadpanned.

"Well, never mind all that, he's my grandson, that's for sure!" Goku Sr smiled then.

"Think about what?" asked Tyson, confused.

"Their relation," Mal said. "I can see that Goku Sr has a bit of a memory problem."

"Mal..." Felicity whispered sharply as she nudged her friend.

"Well, he never received any formal schooling..." LJ replied. "Unlike his sons and granddaughter, and great-grandson."

Goku Jr sighed. "But I got scared... And my friend died trying to save me..." he continued.

"Oh? Then who's that up there?" Goku Sr asked, pointing up to the sound of a hovercraft approaching.

"HEY! GOKU!" Puck's voice called out from the hovercraft.

The others gasped, from shock and a bit of happiness as Puck was alive and well.

"He really was gonna be okay." Akito said with relief.

"Puck, it's you!" Goku Jr exclaimed. 

But he wasn't by himself! With him inside the hovercraft was a certain old woman. "Goku!" she called down.

The boy's eyes sparkled with tears of joy. "Grandma... You're okay!" he exclaimed. "You're well again!"

"Think you can get rid of me _that_ easily?" Pan chuckled. "This old gal's not ready to kick the bucket yet!"

Goku Jr smiled. "Everyone is okay... I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, turning to face his great-great-grandpa, but to his surprise, he had vanished!

"He's gone!" Akito and Vincent gasped.

"Jinx?" Vincent smirked at Akito.

"It's a twin thing, Bro." Akito told his older brother.

"Hmph." Vincent firmly pouted from that.

"Grandpa Goku?" Goku Jr pouted, a bit sadly.

 ** _"It wasn't the Dragon Balls, Goku,"_ **Goku Sr's voice said. **_"It was your courage and love that opened the right doors. You might have had your friends with you, but you mostly did it by yourself."_**

LJ shrugged. "I guess some things never change," he smiled.

"I'm proud of you, grandson," said Goku Sr. "Stay pure... That's your armor."

Goku Jr smiled. "Thanks..." he smiled as the hovercraft landed nearby. "GRANDMA!" he laughed, running over to his grandmother. _'Goodbye, Grandpa...'_ he thought as he and his friends boarded the hovercraft. _'I'm really glad we met.'_

"Well, you see that Dragon Ball in your hand?" Goku Sr's image smiled from afar. "That's the same Dragon Ball my grandpa gave me when I was your age. Even though he was far away, I felt close to him when it was around, keep it safe and I'll always be near. Goodbye, grandson."

Goku Jr beamed as he felt motivated and happy.

"I never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see ya." Puck said to Goku Jr.

"It's good to see you too, Puck." Goku Jr smiled softly.

"It looks like you've got yourself a friend." Kimberly smiled at Goku Jr which seemed to summon some music.

"Look how, they get along together~," LJ sang. "I think it's great the way they blend. He tried to be as tough as leather, but we all know that was pretend!~"

"We found our way through stormy weather~" sang Tyson. "Each of us, right to the end!~"

"Hey, buddy, looks like we're two birds of a feather, And, gee, it looks like I got me a friend~" Goku Jr then smiled at Puck as it seemed like the latter's bullying days were over.

Puck shrugged. "I guess I kinda, sorta... You know." he said.

"You mean you like me?" Goku Jr asked.

"A little." replied Puck.

"You mean it?" asked Goku Jr.

"Don't push it." said Puck.

"Looks like I got me a ...Friend!~" The both of them sang as they headed home.

"A duo." Kimberly and Chrissy smiled.

"Glad I could help." LJ smiled back as he sat between them.

"And we're glad we have you." Kimberly said.

"Very glad." Chrissy added.

The two girls then kissed both of his cheeks proudly from that. Akito decided to start writing out a letter to send to Emi so that they could plan a future visit.

"Wait until our parents hear about _this_!" LJ smiled. "I'd say they'd never believe it, but they've seen stuff like this plenty of times."

"I'm sure they'll be impressed either way." Kimberly smiled back.

"Solid point." LJ nodded as the hovercraft flew home.

* * *

The others waited back home like they said they would as Goku Jr kept a firm hold on the Dragon Ball. Akito smiled a bit dreamily as he wrote his letter.

"So... What's going on?" LJ asked him.

"Asking Emi if we could visit so you guys can have your own Pokemon adventure." Akito smirked innocently.

"Oh..." replied LJ. "Well... Alright. That's pretty cool of you. Next step, maybe I can help you be less of a stuffed-shirt. It might take time, but doing the impossible runs in the family."

"Yeah, that's true," Akito replied as he mostly looked down to concentrate on his letter. "Maybe... Just maybe... Estelle and I were thinking that it was a while since our last visit to Birdwell Island... Maybe you could come too. Believe it or not, there's a big red dog over there named Clifford."

"At this point? Sure, I believe it," LJ replied. "And yeah, I'd be glad to come along. My schedule's pretty clear."

"You can meet him and Mike and Emily Elizabeth and all their friends..." Akito smiled. "I thought you might like a little visit there."

"Well, I suppose that would be fun." LJ replied.

"Great." Akito said as he folded up his letter to put in the envelope to seal it and lick it to mail off to Ash and Emi's home for a future Pokemon adventure.

* * *

The adults greeted the kids back once they were finally back home.

"I got a special place for you." Goku Jr smiled as he held onto the Dragon Ball for safe-keeping. And he did... Upon the mantle in the living room, for everyone to see.

"By the way..." said LJ. "We saw Goku Sr there. He talked to us and everything."

"You saw Goku?" Atticus beamed. "Oh, that sounds amazing. Simply amazing."

"It sure was, Dad." Akito smiled as he began to send his letter out through magic.

"Well, I've often been skeptical about that sort of thing, but if you say you saw Goku Sr, then I believe you," Cherry said calmly. "I'm sure it was quite an experience though."

"Thanks, Mom," LJ replied.

"Well... I think this little tale has wrapped up nicely." said Tyson.

"It has," Uma said. "No hard feelings, right?"

"You mean after you tried to sabotage Auradon Prep's cotillion or when you teamed up with your Aunt Morgana?" Cherry replied.

"Oh, that's all in the past," Uma reassured. "I have a bright new future now... Such as looking for my father."

"Who would that be?" Mo asked.

"Davy Jones." Uma replied.

"Your father was from The Monkees and is the object of Marcia Brady's obsessions?" Cherry smirked as she tried to make a joke.

"No, the guy with an octopus face!" Tyson replied. "Nice joke, though."

"Thanks," Cherry chuckled. "That goes over a lot of your kids' heads... Heck, some friends from when I was a kid too 'cuz that was the 70's."

"Well, Uma, I wish you luck on your journey." Atticus said.

"Thank you, Detective Fudo." Uma replied.

"I hope he at least likes you..." Mal said as she held her necklace.

"Oh, Mal, Hades loves you," Felicity advised. "He just has a funny way of showing it."

"If you say so." Mal replied.

"Do we have to leave so suddenly?" asked Tyson.

"Oh, did you want to stay?" Uma asked Tyson.

"Nah, I was just curious," Tyson replied. "If you wanna get started soon, then that's cool with me."

"Well, probably tomorrow," Uma shrugged. "It'll be something else, that's for sure."

"Adventure always has a way to find you once you get into that lifestyle," Cherry advised. "It's almost impossible to escape from."

"Yep," shrugged LJ. "But once you hit your stride, you might not wanna escape."

"It's like the song Hotel California goes," Cherry replied. "You can check out anytime you'd like, but you can never leave."

"Right." Ambrose nodded.

"Also, I'm glad you were well-behaved," Cherry said to him. "I didn't even have to call your parents."

"Ugh, please don't," Ambrose begged. "My mother always threatens to do stand-up comedy at the next Parent Teacher Conference if I act out."

"Well... Hilda can be pretty funny when she wants to." Cherry smirked.

"I've never seen her stand-up, but I'll take your word for it." replied Lionel.

Cherry took out her phone from Ambrose's last Parent Teacher Conference to show Lionel which was for Witch School.

"Mrs. Schwartz! NO!" Ambrose cried out.

"You know what? Maybe another time," replied Lionel. "This story is running low."

"So, Mom, think we could go back to Birdwell Island sometime?" Estelle asked her mother.

"Some time again, sure," Mo smiled. "Maybe tell Jenny too since her dog knows the dogs there."

Estelle beamed from that.

"Do you _haveta_ go?" Goku Jr asked.

"That's just how it goes sometimes, but we'll be sure to see you again sometime in the future." Felicity reassured him.

"Yeah, from one Kids Next Door agent to another," LJ replied. "I'll put in a good word for ya, man."

Goku Jr beamed happily and excitedly from that as he felt motivated and happy now, thanks to the help of his new friends. And he knew that he'd be able to accomplish truly great things, especially now that he had more confidence in himself.

"I say you kids did well," Cherry said. "I think you all earned a victory feast."

The kids all cheered from that.

"I'll help," Felicity smiled as she came with her mother to prepare a feast. "It's time to relax and unwind now."

The group all smiled, very proud of each other as they wondered what their next adventure would be after they helped out Goku Jr who felt brave, happy, and confident now after his heroic journey. They'd see him again sometime... But that would be another story. For now, as was tradition after the ending of an adventure, that was the end as Felicity sent a letter to her good friends from school as she thought it would be nice for LJ and Zofia to come by for a visit for a couple of weeks after they were too young to come with her when she became a student while a Pokemon adventure was also possible.

The End


End file.
